


Tricked by Angels

by A_Confused_Kitten



Series: Renegade 'Verse [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Based on a Tumblr Post, Blood, Brotherly Bonding, But Gabriel always seems to get stabbed so, Canon-Typical Violence, Castiel Has Issues, Castiel Is So Done, Castiel has black wings, Castiel is a Little Shit, Castiel understands pop culture, Dean is Bad at Feelings, Don't go to them unless you're crazy, Everyone Is Gay, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Gabriel (Supernatural) is So Done, Gabriel (Supernatural) is a Little Shit, Gabriel Being Gabriel, Gabriel Has Issues, Gabriel Ships Castiel/Dean Winchester, Gabriel has golden wings, Gabriel is a Softie, Greek Mythology - Freeform, He also seems to like faking his death, Heaven is screwed up, Hurt Castiel, Hurt Gabriel (Supernatural), Hurt/Comfort, I Don't Even Know, I Will Go Down With This Ship, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I've added like twenty plus tags tonight, John Winchester's A+ Parenting, Like, Literally everyone has issues, Lucifer (Supernatural) Being an Asshole, M/M, Minor Character Death, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Mythology References, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Alternating, POV Castiel, POV Gabriel (Supernatural), Protective Castiel, Protective Gabriel (Supernatural), Psychic Abilities, Really frikin crazy, References to Norse Religion & Lore, Sam Winchester Ships Castiel/Dean Winchester, Smart-ass character, So that causes drama sometimes, The Author Regrets Nothing, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, This fandom can't do feelings, Trickster Castiel, Trickster Gabriel (Supernatural), Trickster Parties, Tricksters are fun to write, Why Did I Write This?, Wings, but i dont really care, but they are also a pain in the ass sometimes, but we love him anyways, fandom references, not really dead character, sorta - Freeform, the author doesn't know how to tag, the tags are on crack
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-24
Updated: 2019-02-02
Packaged: 2019-04-06 10:19:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 21,645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14054790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_Confused_Kitten/pseuds/A_Confused_Kitten
Summary: "Shhhh, don't worry, Cassie. I won't let that happen, you'll never have to harm another one of our brothers and sisters as long as I am around to prevent it."It was an empty promise, he knew that, but it was what Castiel needed to hear and what Gabriel wanted to believe. But there wasn't a way for him to protect his little brother forever, not when he couldn't stand to be in Heaven for another day, another hour, another instant.Unless he brought Castiel with him._______Or, in which Gabriel doesn't leave Heaven by himself and instead takes a certain human-loving fledgling with him. He does his thing and becomes a Trickster, while Castiel goes around healing good people in bad situations.Alternatively, there really needed to be more Castiel and Gabriel bonding time and shit, so I rewrote a bunch of stuff to make that happen.





	1. Heaven is Officially Screwed Up

Gabriel stood at Heaven's edge, peering down the cliffside and into the swirling green and blue mass that was the Earth. The Earth, filled with the humans that their Father had asked -no, _commanded-_ them to love and treasure with of their entire being. The flawed creations that drove Lucifer, the one who'd raised him, to challenge their Father's word.

Even now, as Lucifer and Michael's troops clashed, the sounds of blades echoing like raging thunder and the archangels' true voices shaking the ground like a benevolent quake, the fighting never seemed to stop, their Father too far gone to hear the fledglings' terrified whimpers.

 _Enough is enough,_ Gabriel thought firmly, _and I've had more than enough of watching my brothers tearing at each other's throats_ _._

The youngest Archangel silently spread his golden wings, glancing over his shoulder for a last look at his former home. He took a deep breath, gearing himself for a long flight, then-

"Gabriel?" A voice called asleep. The quiet voice was drowsy and half asleep, yet Gabriel recognized it almost instantly. "Gabriel, why are you getting ready to go to Earth?" Castiel questioned, ever the curious little one. The younger Angel took a few steps forward, a small hand tugging on his jacket; for he had already created a vessel for himself, a trick an old acquaintance had taught him on a recent trip. Beautiful wings, small and swift with feathers shimmering the deepest shades of navy and purple and black as the sun bounced off them, drooped tiredly behind Cas.

Gabriel relaxed his wings, choosing to wrap them around his little brother. "Shhh, I'm just going to Earth for another trip, alright Cassie?" Castiel's tired expression changed into a small smile at the sound of the pet name, pouting as Gabriel ruffled his dark, messy hair with a chuckle.

However, the curious Angel clearly wasn't satisfied with his answer, and the archangel found himself bombarded with several more questions, Castiel's stubborn nature making itself known. "Are you going on a trip because Mikey and Luci are fighting again?" _Clearly,_ he thought with a neutral expression, _Castiel is getting better at calling my bullshit._ "I don't like it when they fight," Cas continued, sounding like a bit of a know-it-all, which was apparently a very amusing sight. "It gets all loud and Uriel and Zacharia kept talking about how they couldn't wait to fight themselves." Then, in a nervous tone, he added. "I don't want to fight our siblings, Gabriel."

He frowned at the information, pulling Castiel closer and holding him close to his chest. This wasn't some glorious battle to be fought, it was a bloody mess that stole something from everyone. "Shhhh, don't worry, Cassie. I won't let that happen, you'll never have to harm another one of our brothers and sisters as long as I am around to prevent it."

It was an empty promise, he knew that, but it was what Castiel needed to hear and what Gabriel wanted to believe. But there wasn't a way for him to protect his little brother forever, not when he couldn't stand to be in Heaven for another day, another hour, another instant.

Unless he brought Castiel with him. The thought crossed his mind and then was rooted in place and now that he thought about it, it wasn't going to leave him alone. It might take a couple decades for Cas to get used to the lifestyle Gabriel had planned to take up, but it was plausible. That way, they both got their wish. Gabriel would be hidden from his older brothers' rage and Castiel wouldn't be forced to fight.

"Cassie? I might know a way for you to remain out of the fight, so you wouldn't have to hurt our siblings." Gabriel started carefully and slowly, counting a few possible options for how the younger would react to his offer. "However, for it to work, you'll need to leave Heaven and live on Earth with me. You wouldn't have to watch them fight or create any trouble involving humans, heck, you could probably have a normal life."

Castiel blinked at him with wide, ocean blue eyes, his lips upturned in a tiny smile. "But," he started, the hopeful look never leaving his face, "what would you do? Your grace is significantly more powerful than mine and it would be very difficult to hide from view."

 _Cas always did ask the right questions_ , Gabriel mused, humming an old, Enochian song that Lucifer used to sing to him. "That's the thing. While you'd be living your normal life, I'll be out posing as Loki, a Scandinavian Trickster and Pagan God of Mischief."

His little brother blinked a few times, surprised by the mention of Pagan gods, which wasn't exactly unexpected. "Brother? These.... Tricksters," he said, the word seeming unpolished and rough around the edges, "they take justice on those who have done others wrong?"

The question took Gabriel by surprise. The fact that Cassie seemed to be considering following in his prankster brother's escape from the heavenly battleground, leaving everything behind him, threw him through a loop. Castiel, shy, sweet, and gentle Castiel becoming a trickster alongside him? Heck, Gabriel had had his doubts that little Castiel would want anything to do with Pagans.

It wasn't a secret that most Angels and Pagans wanted nothing to do with each other.

The Archangel settled on a casual shrug in response to his younger brother's question. "Basically." He agreed, then turned back towards the more pressing matter: getting away from this place. "So, kiddo, you coming or what?"

Cas remained silent for a moment, absently running his hand through Gabriel's wings. "Yes, I'll accompany you." The young Angel sounded determined and serious, but Gabriel had known him long enough to see past that. He'd known Cas long enough to hear the underlying excitement, the hidden nervousness, all the things that Castiel had been taught never to outwardly show. "Gabriel," his little brother started sheepishly. "My wings aren't strong enough to make the trip to Earth."

He frowned, quickly coming to the same realization. Well, time for option number two. "Come here, little bro. It seems like we'll be flying together, at least for a little bit." Gabriel cheerfully ruffled Castiel's dark hair, his wings arching as he prepared for flight a second time. This time, however, the archangel hesitated for a few moments. "Cas, are you sure about this? Once you leave you'll never be able to go back."

Once again, his brother stayed silent, taking a few moments to think, and Gabriel knew that he was stupid to actually believe that Castiel would leave everything behind just to run away with his wayward brother.

"I'm sure," Castiel answered with steel and fire in his steady voice. "What will our siblings do when they find out we're gone?" There wasn't the slightest hint of regret in the question, only pure curiosity.

_Lucifer's glowing red irises. A vicious and malice-filled smile. A feral growl. A cold, sharp blade aimed for a devastating blow._

Forcefully shaking his head, chasing away the bitter memories Gabriel flashed a fake smile in Castiel's direction. "No point worrying about something you'll never have to find out." _That is if I can successfully pull this off._ Gabriel thought bitterly, though he chose to keep the sentiment to himself. "Now, are you ready, Cassie?"

After a nod from Castiel, Gabriel tightened his grip on his younger and spread his wings. Taking a breath, he plunged over the edge.

* * *

"Gabriel, if they call you Loki, what should they call me?"

Castiel, as innocent as always, despite spending over a century adjusting to human, or Pagan, life. The two made an odd pair, Gabriel could admit. While he was an infamous Trickster, Castiel was a renowned miracle worker. Cassie was known for healing veterans of their once permanent injuries, curing incurable illnesses. Gabriel couldn't be prouder of his younger brother, who somehow managed to keep that untouchable light around him during the most desperate times.

 _Yeah,_ Gabriel thought, smiling to himself, _we're pretty great._

Thinking back to Castiel's question, the Archangel thought long and hard. "Hmm, how about we call you Apollo? It's a Greek God of music, healing, and the sun."

Cas just raised a brow in response, only his eyes giving away his amusement. "Alright, Loki." Gabriel's alias had a certain draw to it, one Cassie clearly added for a reason. None other than mocking his older brother. "Apollo sounds good." With an entirely human reaction, the former Angel rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, slipping into a 'thinking' pose. "Y'know, it has a nice ring to it."

The Archangel's usual grin appeared on his face, promising that a deadly prank was bound to occur sometime in the near future. Gabriel, of course, knew that with every one of his 'jobs', Cassie took it upon himself to perform some sort of miracle, sometimes more than one. Castiel seemed to have picked up on his brother's aura because the younger of the pair sighed, resting his face in his hands. "Really, Gabriel? We've been in town for two days. Isn't it a little early to traumatize or maim a SoB?"

 _Well, one thing was for sure_ , Gabriel thought, _Cassie always did like to get comfortable with a group or place before getting to work._ "Fine." He whined, grinning as Castiel groaned at the dramatic display. "But tomorrow? It's not going to be that easy to change my mind." That wasn't a question, both of them preferred to move from place to place. Cassie'd told Gabriel it was because he wanted to see the world or at least the county. Gabriel, well, Gabriel was _terrified_ that his brothers and sisters would find them, that they would be absolutely livig that he'd 'corrupted' one of their best fledglings then smuggled him to Earth.

Because that- that was not something that would benefit either party.

With that thought in mind, Gabriel collapsed onto the luxurious bed, one that should not be found in a small motel, and fell into the closest thing he could compare to sleep.


	2. Bonding Time with Feathers

Castiel appeared in the hospital room with only the sound of ruffling feathers announcing his presence. The former Angel smoothed out the barely visible wrinkles in his trench coat. A young woman, the only other person in the small, white room, laid asleep on the hospital bed. However, she stirred as he approached.

"You're him," her eyes widened in realization. "You're the miracle giver. My mother used to say that you could cure any sickness or injury."

Castiel nodded, having long since gotten used to the praise. "I've been called many things by many people. Mostly, however, they call me Apollo." He said in response, giving her his chosen name. Whether people chose to use it or not, the name was his and his alone.

Just like how Gabriel's formerly angelic aura had slowly become intertwined with Pagan magic, Castiel had become Apollo through and through.

Gently, Cas reached out and placed a hand on the young woman's forehead, willing her to close her eyes. As he did so, a pale light slipped between his fingers and filled the quiet, white room. Then, Castiel took a small step back and the light faded. "Rest now." He murmured, turning to leave. The young woman blinked sleep out of her eyes as Castiel's grace soothed her soul.

"Thank you, may you always live in peace."

With those words, the angelic healer nodded, and with the quiet sound of wind rushing through black feathers, he was gone. Leaving nothing behind but a single, black feather cupped in the young woman hands.

* * *

 Not even a second later, he reappeared. Gabriel, like he often did, was waiting for him, having already finished his own job. His older brother, the only constant in his life, greeted him with a grin, clasping Castiel's shoulder. "So, how's the job treating you?" Gabriel asked, a playful smirk gracing his face. "You already know how my night went down."

It was a pleasant routine the two of them had long since put into play. Gabriel snapped up some sweets and explaining his rounds for the day, before heading off to wherever he needed to be, while Castiel scouted the local hospitals and homes for people who didn't deserve what they'd been given. Once they both finished their daily activities, they returned to wherever they happened to set up camp and talk about various things.

Castiel answered the Archangel in the same playful tone. "She was a young woman," he started, giving Gabriel a little of the woman's history. "Worked at the orphanage on Sundays and took care of a six-month-old daughter and a four-year-old son." His brother nodded in approval and it was no secret that Gabriel had a soft spot for families. "The mother had developed a tumor, now it's gone."

"Congrats, little bro! Sounds to me like some R&R is in order!" As he often did after a successful day, Gabriel beckoned for Castiel to follow him, extending six golden wings as he did so. Cas rolled his eyes in exasperation but didn't bother to hide his excitement. Flying with Gabriel, he'd noticed, was different than flying with any other Angel. While the rest of his other brothers and sisters only cared about getting to the final destination, the gold Archangel never flew plainly or simply. Twists and dives and loops and falls, and his brother had taught him all his tricks.

Castiel never mentioned his suspicion that Lucifer was the one to teach Gabriel how to fly so freely.

 Regardless, the former Angel turned Pagan Trickster followed his older brother as he was led to the small porch outside their current residence, one of many of Gabriel's safehouses that were located in almost any spot imaginable. This particular one was a small-ish farmhouse with painted blue walls and white trim, but Castiel never really made too much attention to its exact spot. Somewhere in Kansas, if he remembered correctly.

Gabriel spun around suddenly, his wings flared as the Archangel had warded the area so no one would see the golden wings. Golden. The word could easily be used to sum up his older brother. Whiskey gold eyes, caramel gold hair, and wings covered in feathers that ranged from pure gold to soft amber. It might be an odd thought to someone who didn't see Gabriel in the light that he did, with him being a Trickster and all, but Castiel had long since learned to see past the Archangel's facade.

"What's got your feathers in a twist?" Gabriel's question pulled him away from his thoughts. 

Cas simply waved off the concern, revealing his own ebony wings. Though they were smaller than Gabriel's, they were just as agile and, according to Gabriel, just as beautiful. He stretched the feathery limbs for a few moments, then flashed a mischievous wink in his older brother's direction. Then, with a rush of air, he was in the air.

He dove forward almost a second after he took flight, and Gabriel was suddenly flying just over a foot below him, laughing as he darted ahead of Castiel. The younger Angel chuckled quietly and shot upwards, not stopping until he was hidden above the clouds. He stayed like that for a few minutes, resting there with his eyes closed, relaxed as the cold breeze ruffled through his dark-colored feathers. "So brother," he asked, seemingly out of the blue, but then again, his brother wasn't the quietest Angel. "Remind me again about your most recent trick?"

Gabriel was perfectly content to talk about his latest work opportunity. "Well, the guy was a professor at a local university, taught Ethics and all that jazz. Turns out Mr. Morality here was quite the player. Especially when it comes to the young women in his classes." So a man who took advantage of the people who looked up to him, one of his brother's personal favorites when it came to dealing out justice.

At one point in time, Castiel would have been highly disgusted by Gabriel's choice of occupation. Now, he saw it as fitting and well deserved.

"So I gave him a little scare. A young woman came up with him and he came down alone. Just, using a window instead of the stairs." Gabriel was saying, finishing up his tale. "I've got two others to hit before we leave town, do you have any other plans?" The Archangel asked, and Castiel just then realized that they were flying over there most recent haunt. His brother always had had a way of making long flights seem like minutes.

Thinking about it, Castiel had two or three more people to seek out. The first, an eight-year-old boy who had been paralyzed in a freak accident that he suspected was caused by demons. The second was an old woman, blind since she was a child, who wanted to see the world one last time. The final person was a middle-aged professor who worked at Crawford Hall, who had been shoved down a flight of stairs by a pair of very apologetic students.

The pair of runaway Angels landed in their usual spot, Castiel exchanging his usual attire for the one he wore as the professor's "teacher aide." Similarly, Gabriel snapped his fingers and was instantly dressed in the standard clothes for the school's janitors. "Looking good, Cassie!" His brother teased, poking Castiel's side.

He only rolled his eyes in response and proceeded to straighten out his white button-up shirt. "And you look ridiculous, as always." Castiel's lips tugged upwards at the corners and he playfully laughed at Gabriel's snort.

Glancing around the campus, he didn't miss the sleek, black car that rolled up, stopping at Crawford Hall. As the two men stepped out of the car, Castiel felt Gabriel freeze besides him. Taking a closer inspection, the younger Angel quickly discovered why. The two hunters, because no FBI agents were that calloused and hardened, were none other than Sam and Dean Winchester.

The two humans who were destined to tear his family apart, and for that, he couldn't help the wave of anger that surged through him. Him and Gabriel had left Heaven thousands of years ago to stay away from the bloody onslaught that was to come. The reason Gabriel would be forced to watch the brothers who had raised him fight each other, knowing that one of them wouldn't make it out of it alive.

And if his brother didn't pull any tricks on the vessels of Lucifer and Michael, then you can be damn sure that he would.

* * *

The motel room door opened with a soft click, and Bobby quickly entered the room. "I got your call. Now, whats so important that you couldn't tell me over the phone." The older hunter asked gruffly. 

"We weren't sure you would believe us." Sam Winchester admitted, sheepishly scratching the back of his head. This was on a whole new level of weird, the younger Winchester thought. A supposed haunting, an alien abduction, and an alligator in the sewers had him confused beyond belief. Neither him or Dean had the slightest idea of what they were hunting and that was something that worried him. 

"I'll believe a lot of things."

 With those words, Sam and Dean exchanged a look. "Well, it started like this."


	3. The Family Business (Sorta)

Winchesters, huh. That was going to make this an interesting job. The pair of Angels weren't short on experiences involving hunters, not even close to it. Still, the brothers were obviously there because they had heard of his stunt with the professor. Castiel noticed them seconds after he did, and his younger brother placed his hand on Gabriel's shoulder and squeezed.

Gabriel shook himself out of his haze. "Well well well, looks like we got some company!" He announced, already going through a mental checklist on the best way to screw with the brothers without necessarily giving away his Pagan identity. "Com'on little brother, let's go give 'em Hell." The pride at Castiel, who years ago would've cried blasphemy, only grew as his brother simply chuckled at the phrase.

Smirking, the Archangel led the way over to the two boys, oozing the confidence that both of his identities were known for. "You two lookin' for something?" Gabriel questioned, his smirk never fading. He knew exactly what the Winchesters were here for, but hey. He was a sucker for trouble.

His brother subtly jabbed his side, giving Gabriel what was supposed to be a silent warning. "Excuse my brother," Cas interjected himself into the conversation with a silver tongue. "I'm Castiel, or Cas for short, and this is my brother Gabriel. I am- I _was_ the professor's T.A. before the accident. I assume you have questions?" Castiel, ever the charmer, spoke with an authoritative tone, leaving no room for side conversations.

The younger Winchester, Sam if Gabriel remembered correctly, nodded. "Yeah, we need to check out the professor's old office if you wouldn't mind showing us to it?" It was phrased as a question, but there was an obvious expectation.

"Sure! We can give you two giants the tour!" Gabriel grinned, golden eyes revealing none of his actual feelings about the two brothers. Which, to put simply, were not too generous and bordered on the line of 'righteous fury.'

Castiel's voice filled his head, thoughtful and pleasant and calming to Gabriel's hyper-alert mind. _Is there a plan, or are we just winging it?_

He flashed a tiny smile in Cas's direction. _Don't worry about it, bro! Just play it cool, like they're just another pair of idiotic hunters!_

Cassie gave him a look that would go unseen by almost anyone. Ocean blue eyes filled with honest-to-Father joy and was that reassurance? _Same goes for you, brother. There's nothing that y_ _ou could've done to prevent this, you know that, right? You have the scars to prove that, so don't let these hunters throw you off your game._

For a split second, his confidence slipped away and Gabriel shoved the mask back on. Dammit, Cas. Did he really need to mention that now? While next to the Winchesters, the two destined to kill each other as Lucifer and Michael? Yeah, Gabriel should've tried harder, screw the scars that said 'hey, I just got in the middle of two clashing Archangels!'

Either way, they still had two obnoxious hunters to deal with. _Let's get going. Save the emotional chat for later._

Castiel's only response was a look that screamed 'We'll be talking about this later.'

* * *

"So how long have you been working here?" Sam asked, following the T.A. and janitor. Castiel and Gabriel, he corrected himself. The two had been spouting random facts out loud to him and his brother, but they seemed to be having their own private conversation using nothing but small gestures and expressions.

Castiel looked like he was about to answer, but Gabe beat him to it. "I've been mopping these floors for six years." He waved a hand towards his brother, and Sam mentally noted the complete lack of resemblance, filing the fact away for later. "And Cassie here has been working with the professor on and off for the last three years or so." He casually pulled out the EMF reader, casually waving the small device along the walls. "What the heck is that for?"

The younger Winchester simply waved the question off, using one of the many responses they had prepared in case someone was curious as to what they were doing. "Just finding wires in the walls." It was an easy plan to stick to, as long as they played their cards correctly. Simple always seemed to be the go-to idea for dealing with an unknown creature, like something that would kill some people and heal others. 

Gabriel shrugged, leaning against a wall close to the door. "Huh, not sure why you're wiring up this office. It didn't do the professor much good." He stated, shaking his head."

"Why's that?" His brother questioned.

The janitor rolled his eyes and answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "He's dead. Went out that window," he continued and pointed at the currently open window. barely giving Dean time to ask what had happened. "Right there."

Sam cut in immediately, loud and eager. "Oh yeah?" He asked, pretending to be excited, as though he weren't tracking the thing that killed him. "Were you working that night?"

Gabriel raised an eyebrow, giving Sam an amused look. "I'm the one who found him." 

"Did you see it happen?"

"Nope, I saw him come up here and," he made a tsking sound, looking down at the floor, before seeming to focus on something Sam couldn't see. "Well, he wasn't alone."

Sam faked shock, the prospect of him coming up with someone did check off several monsters that could possibly have done this. His brother asked the next question around a mouthful of the sweets the professor had had sitting at the door. "Who was he with?"

The other man made another sharp tsk, a smirk playing on his lips. "Well, Mr. Morality here-"

"The professor was often accompanied by a lovely woman. More specifically, students that were overly attached to the professor. It wouldn't be the first time a young woman has been seen coming up here with him." Castiel interrupted, shooting a quick glare at his brother. "He wasn't exactly the most private person when it came to his," he paused as if he was struggling to find a word, "Interests."

The two brothers shared a look, both deciding the most likely culprit, each one asking the other pair the typical questions. Sam wasn't unaware of the confused expressions that Castiel and Gabriel were sending in their direction, though, he was sure Castiel had anger hidden somewhere in his gaze.

* * *

The Archangel sighed, dramatic and theatrical. Hunters always made his work an absolute pain, so that feeling was nothing new. However, the Winchesters were on an entirely different level of annoyance and irritation. Always getting in the way, but that shouldn't be a surprise to Gabriel, they  _were_ the ones who would eventually be responsible for the Apocalypse.

Castiel was currently back at their safe house in Kansas, probably getting ready for his guest appearance at someone's hospital room or something like that. Gabriel, having just finished up his second job in the area (the slow dancing aliens always were a personal favorite) was simply waiting for the brothers to make an appearance or for someone to notice the kid, who was definitely acting strangely to anyone who knew him.

With an easy, swift motion, he was in the air. The breeze rushed past his feathers and hair with a cold swoop, a feeling that would never stop amazing him. Gabriel had always been told that he was a master in the air, his brothers insisting that it was true. Well, Luci insisted it was true while Micah and Raph nodded to keep up appearances. Even after centuries, the words still rang true. With the wind blowing in his ears, it was a wonder that he could hear anything. But the humming noise, the muted version of someone calling for him, still echoed clearly in his head.

_I pray to Loki, God of Mischief and Lies, for I fear that I may require your assistance and trickery. I haven't much to offer, but I humbly ask for your assistance._

Old fashioned, but it was still there. He rarely paid much attention when people prayed to the Messenger, but he did the occasional favor for Loki's followers. Gabriel quickly decided that he might as well show himself to the believer. With a snap of his fingers, the Archangel-turned-Trickster had appeared outside of a small, snow-covered house. A young girl kneeled in front of an old oak, hands clasped together. _Old fashioned member of a new generation,_  Gabriel mused,  _that's always refreshing._

Barely a moment after he revealed himself, the young girl raised her head and met his gaze with a pair of practically glowing green eyes. "Thank you for coming, sir. My charge is being harmed by his mother and unfortunately, the rules prevent us from interfering." She stood, and Gabriel quickly identified what she was.

A Zanna, one of his first and only- minus the handful of weird looking animals he'd come up with- creations. "I assume you want me to take care of it?" The Zanna nodded without an ounce of hesitation. "Then my wish is your command, no offerings required." Gabriel gestured towards the small pile of coins the girl had gathered, mentally cursing that most Pagans had a reputation for demanding favors or gifts in turn for their assistance. A thought popped into his head and he tacted it on to his rambling. "What do they call you, anyway? I  might have a way you can help me."

The Zanna nodded again and quickly stowed the coins away in the small, handmade bag she carried. "Thank you, sir, they call me Amaya. How may I assist you, sir?"

Gabriel was really getting tired of this whole "sir" thing. "First of all, drop the sir. It's Loki," he hesitated for a moment, "or to a select few, Gabriel. Now, I want you to tell the other Zanna to call for me if you ever have a charge who needs protection." In his defense, the Zanna were taught from an extremely young age that telling someone another person's secrets was impolite, and the Zanna were very interested in staying polite. "Though, I got to ask you not to tell anyone outside about me being Gabriel because that could cause some drama that I have no care to deal with."

Amaya, her eyes bright and sparkling, eagerly nodded her head. "Of course! I shall tell the Zanna immediately!" She exclaimed, then her gaze wandered back towards the snow-covered home. "But may I ask how you intend to help my charge?"

The former Archangel followed her gaze, almost certain of how to deal with it. "I'm just goin' to give Mommy dearest a little lesson." He answered, a smirk on his face. "Now, why don't you take your charge on a little adventure while I take care of it?"

And if from then on, the mother was the most caring and protective parent to ever walk the planet, the Trickster would just grin.


	4. Finishing the Job (Or Not)

"Well, that didn't take long."

Castiel heard his brother's words and fixed him with a curious expression, tilting his head to the side (Because some habits can't be broken). "Brother, what is it?" Judging by his older sibling's voice, it wasn't anything that he would be looking forward.

Gabriel fixed him with a serious look. "The Winchesters." He started, "Aren't as stupid as I thought."

So the two brothers had discovered their identities as Loki and Apollo, respectively. Meaning, their charade at Crawford Hall was up. Or at the very least, put on a temporary delay. Still, the hunters figuring out their Pagan identities would most definitely cause some difficulties in the long run. Especially, since Castiel wasn't nearly as against working with the Winchesters as Gabriel was. Though, he was by no means eager to have even the slightest involvement in the Apocalypse that the two boys were bound to start.

 Castiel placed a hand on his brother's shoulder, giving a gentle (by Angel standards) squeeze. "Well, brother, usually I'd say that now would be a good time to plan our dramatic reveal, but this is an unusual occasion, so I personally suggest we hit the closest bar and get 'drunk.'" He smirked, laughing at his brother's cackling reaction.

"Cassie, my oh so innocent fledgling, you're getting so big! Almost reached your first millennia!" Gabriel mocked a sob, dramatically throwing himself towards Castiel, who shoved him off with an amused grin. The younger Angel had always been one of Gabriel's favorite fledglings, even in Heaven, so he was no stranger to his brother's antics. "Once we deal with those pesky hunters, I'll even let ya try some Asgardian ale!"

He shook his head, chuckling at the dramatics. His lips formed a small grin, for Gabriel's humor had certainly kept the pair alive on several occasions. Such as the time he annoyed a particularly obnoxious hunter until a few friends had shown up, laughing and cackling at the confused and angry human. Or when the Archangel had told a joke so humorous, Puck couldn't look Gabriel in the eye for years. Though, his personal favorite had been when Thor had been forced to take Frigga's place at a wedding, as a result of something or another wanting to claim Mjolnir.

Never let it be said that Gabriel didn't look good as a bridesmaid, because even Castiel, who'd seen his brother in countless forms, could admit that the archangel looked pretty damn good.

Castiel redirected his thoughts to the current objective: Dealing with the pair of dumbasses who would eventually start the Apocolypse. Gabriel seemed to be thinking about the same thing, his feet propped up on the coffee table and his hands absentmindedly carding through unseen feathers. "Let's stick with one of the usual routines." Meaning, let's either kill the damn Winchesters or fake our own deaths. "Personally, I'd say that the second option would be much more beneficial in the long run since it delays the inevitable."

The Archangel nodded, quite frantically, Castiel noticed, and he sat down next to his brother. Before long, both angels were hidden behind a curtain of inky feathers. A tendril of his grace prodded at the Archangel's, and the gesture was returned with little hesitation. Years ago, before they'd left Heaven, Angels would've seen this as improper, probably done something about it, too. Castiel, however much he missed the place they'd come from, could easily admit that this life was much more freeing. 

Gabriel laughed, reaching over and ruffling his hair. While his older brother may have a hard time showing affection in normal ways, or socially acceptable ways, but he'd had long since learned how to read in between the lines of his endless sarcasm and tricks. Castiel let his wings fold against his back, but not before he felt the metaphysical embrace of six golden wings that were beautiful despite the plethora of jagged, pink scars that littered the six limbs.

Though Castiel doubted that Gabriel would ever admit it, he had a sinking feeling that the scars weren't gained in battle. Despite Gabriel's best efforts, the younger angel hadn't been unaware of the times when the archangel's attempts to stop the fighting went south.

 "Well, Cassie, looks like we got a little trick to set up!" Gabriel exclaimed brightly, though, there was the slightest hint of resignation in his eyes. The same look that came with any mention of the Apocolypse. "Though, I'm not quite sure if you really need to be there," he stretched the word 'really' out longer than usual, and Castiel knew it was because he hated it when his little brother seemed dead. "I mean, you haven't killed anyone, not recently anyway, so they probably didn't connect the two of us."

Well, he couldn't deny that. Most hunters they'd encountered hadn't put together the miraculous healing sessions with the series of iconic deaths, but Castiel got the feeling that this particular occasion would be different. "No, this is one thing I can't shy away from." He decided, ignoring Gabriel's groan. "Besides, it's been a while since anyone got to talk with Apollo." Castiel mused, shrugging his shoulders in a casual gesture.

"Fine," Gabriel drawled, sounding more than a little irritated, but he let the Archangel be. "But I'm revealing myself first, I don't want you in any more danger than necessary."

So maybe his older brother was a tad protective, but it was a welcome change compared to the older Angels who wouldn't hesitate to torture and kill their siblings. Just for the slightest possibility of gaining a rank.

Either way, Castiel easily agreed. "Let's keep it simple, you do your whole 'peace offering' skit, while I make sure the other hunters don't cause us any trouble." By trouble, he basically meant try to sneak into the building with stakes. Granted, the stakes couldn't actually kill either of them, but they would still hurt like hell. "I for one am not going out of my way to do something special for the vessels."

It shouldn't be surprising that Gabriel mutely agreed, nodding silently while looking as though he was in deep thought. The topic of his thoughts was likely his brothers, who they'd been before his father had left the building, or however the phrase went. Of course, that was a place neither of them chose to talk about, at least, not often. "C'mon," Castiel gestured, "I get the feeling that a little air time is in order."

His older brother's face broke into a small grin, and Gabriel visibly perked up at the words, which clearly was a chance to spread his wings. Gabriel, Castiel had discovered, jumped at any chance to fly, always acting if each time he flew was his last. "Perfect idea, little one!" Castiel rolled his eyes at the nickname that the Archangel had been using since he was just a fledgling. "Go cruise around a bit then go flay ourselves some Winchesters!"

As usual, his older brother was slightly reminiscent of a hyperactive puppy.

* * *

 Later that night, Castiel waited outside of the auditorium, invisible while he listened to Gabriel and Dean. His blue eyes narrowed upon seeing the older hunter, Bobby Singer if he recalled correctly, and Sam Winchester begin to sneak towards the building. So he hadn't been wrong about the brother's planning a trap.

With a silent flap of wings, Castiel appeared in front of the younger Winchester. "Sorry," the Angel gave a half-assed apology to the startled human, "But I'm afraid that I can't let you do that."

Sam's surprise, as quickly as it left his face, left him open for attack. "Bobby!" He shouted, dodging Castiel's strike. "New plan! There are two of them!"

 Castiel, letting his senses stretch further than the area he usually contained them with, easily heard the older hunter coming up behind him, and put him to sleep effortlessly with a light touch. "As I said, Samuel Winchester, no one with intentions to harm my brother will be allowed to enter this building." He didn't elaborate, deciding to let the Winchester come to his own ideas about them being brothers.

"Your brother?" Sam sounded curious, probably processing the questions that Castiel knew were running through his head. Castiel could see the gears turning in the human's head. "Which means you must be the one healing people. The person causing all those miraculous things to happen to good people."

Castiel nodded, seeing no reason to deny it. "And if I am?" One moment, they were standing outside the building. The next, they were standing in the auditorium, no stakes anywhere in the nearby vicinity. "You need something, brother?" The former Angel questioned, tilting his head to the side. Last time he checked, Gabriel had been intent on keeping him _away_ from the older Winchester, who was supposedly much more inclined to stab first and ask questions later.

The Archangel laughed, waving his hands in a dramatic manner. "Yeah, it's called getting this obnoxious bitch out of my hair." 

Castiel rose an eyebrow, copying Gabriel's signature expression. "So, pretty much the same you say about every hunter we happen to come across? I think you can do with a bit of an update when it comes to your insults." He ignored the low chuckle coming from the older hunter. "I see you got bored and tired of the usual plans?"

His brother grinned, plastering that foreign malicious and hollow expression on his face, though, Castiel was the only one who saw it as wrong. "Ah, you know me! Always changing up the plan and shaking it up a bit? Ay, Polly?"

Again with the nicknames.

 "Polly?

Again, he ignored the older Winchester. Castiel turned to his older brother, speaking with a clearly annoyed tone. "I'm well aware, Loki. Now, I believe we are needed somewhere else? Afterall, my list has all the names crossed off of it and last time I checked, your last appointment was crossed off the list last night." He put it simply, seeing no reason to deal with the brothers.

Gabriel simply shrugged. "Might as well, its better than dealing with these yahoos. Well, see ya later boys," he drawled, "The job comes a callin'!" The hunters jumped forward, but with a quick snap, the Angels were gone.

"Son of a bitch!"

* * *

Castiel, absentmindedly playing with Gabriel's feathers, asked hesitantly. "So are you still convinced that the Winchesters will behave exactly like our older siblings?" He knew that there was a firm possibility that Gabriel would simply disappear without answering the question in the slightest, but he had to know. 

 There were a few beats filled with nothing but silence. "I don't know," came the quiet response, "their souls are so similar to Luci and Micah's grace, but at the same time, they act so differently. Like Luci and Micah did before Dad left." Gabriel's voice was quiet, raw emotion leaking through the almost invisible mask.

 _No one is excluded from the damage this war causes,_ Castiel cursed silently,  _even the strongest and most amazing person I know is left broken and torn apart, and I'm the one who'll be holding him together._

Once again, Castiel found himself surrounded by golden wings, though this time they were fully corporal. "Shhh, I've got you little brother." He hadn't realized he'd been projecting his thoughts or feelings, but he leaned into the embrace, letting his hands wander across the older's wings and running his fingers over the faded scars. "Nothing is going to touch hurt you, my little one, not even the smallest feather. Not as long as I'm still here. Not as long as I'm still here."

And the younger Angel, the one with wings like dancing ink, believed his words with every ounce of his grace. Because after everything the pair had been through together, he knew that God's Messenger would never promise him something that he couldn't fulfill. And at that moment, Castiel decided that he wasn't going to sit back and watch the Apocalypse happen because there was no way in Hell he was going to let his family tear itself apart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, this keeps taking so long to update! Hopefully, the chapters don't seem rushed or forced because I usually end up finishing them in a hurry.


	5. Long Chats and Lots of Sighs (And Sass)

Despite what many people might think, Gabriel did indulge in things other than sweet foods and pranks. Meaning, it was a perfectly ordinary morning for the two runaway Angels who lived in the small country home, just outside of Lawrence. 

As it so happened to be, the Archangel was up and around first (Probably because Castiel had performed a healing late the previous night and had decided he was in the mood for Gabriel's cooking.), scurrying around the kitchen. "Cassie! How do you expect me to cook something for you if there isn't any damn food!" Gabriel himself had no problem just snapping up ingredients to cook with. Castiel, however, was a bit more particular. 

"Gabriel, I swear to Father, please don't waste the energy creating whatever it is you're looking for!" 

The Archangel smirked, hearing his younger sibling approach. "So, little one, what am I making on this fine morning?" Castiel only groaned. "Pancakes it is!" Gabriel announced, knowing very well that Cas always loved pancakes, even more so when they were drizzled with fresh honey from the local beekeeper. "Any interesting jobs recently?" He asked, ignoring the quiet protests as he snapped the needed food into existence. 

Castiel shrugged, still half asleep, looking just as drowsy as the night they'd left with his feathers puffed out and ruffled. It wasn't an uncommon sight for Castiel to keep his wings out on the days where the pair of them relaxed around the house, especially early mornings. "Nothing out of the usual. My latest healing went well, Claire Novak will wake up tomorrow morning with no trace of her previous stroke." 

Huh, so Cas had finally gotten along to healing Claire Novak, the daughter of his true vessel. Granted, the body that Apollo (What? Did you think that they just randomly poofed centuries worth of myths and legends and existence? No, their history with Loki and Apollo was a story for another day.) had crafted looked extremely similar to Jimmy Novak, who had been made aware of his bloodline when Castiel had healed Claire, or at least that's what Gabriel thought his brother would do. 

He settled on a response, reaching up to ruffle Cas' already messy hair, despite his noticeably shorter stature. "Congrats little brother! I know you've been meaning to heal her for a while, right?" Of course, because of his archangel status, his own true vessel was under constant watch. Just in case he happened to be alive (Which he most definitely was.) and decided to go after his lineage. Fortunately, Cas had no problem taking the extra time to watch over the Middleton family tree and making sure that the family remained okay. Hell, Cassie had managed to become more than polite acquaintances with their daughter, even after her parent's accident and her creating a new identity. 

Then again, Castiel understood humans more than any Angel beside himself. The azure-eyed Angel eagerly nodded his head, a smile donning his face. "Yes, and it was quite delightful to meet her. Your vessel is doing quite good as well. Charlie, as she goes by these days, just so happens to be one of the greatest hackers in the states." 

As if now, Charlie had no clue about the supernatural being anything more than fairy tales, and Gabriel had no intentions to let that change anytime in the near future. Thinking about it though, she would be a pretty badass hunter, Gabriel had no doubt about that. "So how's Jimmy doin'?" He asked, cutting off Castiel before he spoke. "And don't say you haven't met him, I've seen you two talking!" 

Cassie flushed, a rosy pink dusting his cheeks. "He's doing well, though he still questions why I haven't asked for his permission to use him as a vessel." The younger Angel frowned at that and Gabriel wrapped an unseen wing around his slumping shoulders, successfully smothering his little brother in golden feathers. 

"Not all angels are as merciful as we are, my little one." Gabriel reminded him gently. "An old friend of mine once described his time as a vessel as being chained to a speeding comet, and I don't believe for a second that he was wrong." The archangel tightened his embrace, wishing his sympathies to any person serving as a vessel, let along the vessels. "We're probably the only Angels who actually give a damn about humanity." 

Because wasn't that the cold, hard truth. 

Of course, that was the moment someone (Who was most likely a certain pair of hunters) decided to summon him. Stupid Apocolypse-starting bright-eyed sad-storied idiots! Shooting Castiel an annoyed look, he gave a dramatic sigh. "Well, duty calls! I'll be back in a snap, so don't miss me too much, Cassie!" 

Then, Gabriel appeared with the usual flourish that Loki was notorious for. As he had suspected, he was greeted with the sight of the two Winchester boys and one Robert Singer. "Hey there, buckos! What can I do for ya this time?" The Trickster stopped hiding his powers, which were far more than the three humans knew, letting his eyes glow Loki's threatening green, practically sparking with the energy. "Or should I start planning my daring escape?" 

Singer stepped forward, an old and faded book in his hands. Huh, he thought he'd burned most lore on the Norse Pantheon. Well, at least all the accurate sources, anyway. "Loki of Asgard?" The eldest man inquired, his posture and tone simply radiating caution. "Norse god of mischief and lies? Bringer of Ragnarok?" 

Gabriel rolled his eyes and sighed, bringing a hand to his forehead, shaking his head in an exaggerated gesture. What was with humans and their fancy titles? Though, he was pretty sure that that might just be a hunter thing. "Are you just going to read off my resume or do you actually need something worth my time?" 

All he could say was that if he hadn't been raised by Lucifer, the prince of death glares and bitchfaces, the look Sammy Winchester was giving him probably would have made him consider being serious for once. But alas, Gabriel had learned his dramatic nature and tricks from somewhere and he was nowhere near unused to those exasperated expressions. He did live with Castiel after all, who had never gotten rid of that borderline formality. Though, it could just be that he'd gotten mature enough for the both of them. 

Dean Winchester just twirled wooden stake between his fingers, somewhat resembling a drummer screwing around with a pair of drumsticks, but he looked more like an uncoordinated monkey. "Remind me why we haven't staked this son of a bitch?" 

He practically growled, eyes narrowed and glaring in Gabriel's direction. 

His brother rolled his eyes and ignored Dean. "So why would a Trickster, who murders innocent people, tag team with someone who heals the same people he hunts?" Sam questioned, curiosity hidden between layers of professionalism and seriousness. So he had connected him and Castiel. No surprise there. "None of the lore remotely points to your kind having partners." Ah, so he must have found information on Coyote and Anansi because Puck and Eris, both of whom he trusted enough to eventually reveal his angelic status, were both extremely social and renowned partygoers. 

 _Welp, better answer before they get impatient._ Gabriel mused. "Well, for one, he's my little brother, so that obviously counts for something." Upon seeing Sam preparing to ask more, almost certainly about how gods from different pantheons could be siblings, he cut the younger brother off with a wave of his hand. "Yes, he's associated with the Greeks and I'm associated with the Norse, but most pantheons are just collections of individuals with similar origin stories and crap like that. So no big deal! Hell, Odin himself was created when his father had an affair with a mortal woman. Now, any more questions kiddos? I've got some business to attend to!" 

Dean snorted, crossing his arms in a stubborn gesture and Gabriel knew stubborn idiots like he knew the back of his hand. "Yeah, right. Do you really think we're gonna let you go and kill some random human being?" 

Gabriel leveled him with a pointed glare. "One, those people were far from innocent. The professor from Crawford Hall? He'd been picking up girls since he was hired there. The real kicker? The youngest girl? She was only 16 years old. The guy from animal testing? He was practically paid to torture those creatures. Boy, the stuff he'd done before I'd intervened, let me tell ya, it wasn't pretty. Trust me, if you had seen what I did, you probably would've done the same thing." 

Continuing his ongoing rant, he shot a glare in Dean's direction. And boy, if looks could kill the Winchester would definitely be six feet under. "And two, no plans to go out and gank someone, at least not for today. I got people to meet, places to see. Y'know, the usual stuff ya do when you have a day off from work."

His response was three different looks that screamed, _"How stupid do you think I am?_ " Granted, the hunters probably wouldn't like his answer to that particular question. Or any question for that matter.

"Welp, sorry boys, but we're done here and I ain't planning on sticking around to chat! Apollo and I have plans for later, and I have a possible visit with Eris in about," he snapped, glancing at the watch that had appeared on his wrist, "15 minutes! Better luck next time, kiddos." Gabriel smirked, watching as they lunged forward, only to have him disappear at the very last second.

Two seconds later, he popped back up in his and Cassie's favorite residence, the small Kansas farmhouse. "Hey, Cassie! Anything interesting happens while I had the little meeting with the Fates' two biggest puppets?"

There was noise from upstairs and then a quiet whooshing sound. "As I said earlier, nothing out of the usual. I did find a place I want to visit, at least for a few days, and maybe a possible job there." Castiel spoke cheerfully from where he stood at Gabriel's right. "By the way, Eris sent a message saying she was dropping in today, probably around lunch."

Huh, so Cassie found a golden apple outside on the porch railing. The chaotic Goddess always did leave apples in random places, especially hidden somewhere on the porch. "Alrighty then, should I be expecting anyone else?" After knowing the Greek Goddess for as long as he had, Gabriel had come to expect her to always have a few companions, usually Puck or Coyote, but occasionally Hermes would show up on their doorstep.

And boy, the other messenger definitely knew his way around the kitchen.

Cassie shrugged, but his eyes said he knew something more. "You can never tell with those Trickster Gods, but I bet that she'll have a few friends." He seemed to think for a moment, before speaking again. "Probably Puck and Hermes, it seems like that kind of day."

Well, Gabriel knew one thing for sure. If that crowd was coming here, no one, and he meant _no one,_ would get away without some embarrassing story or blackmail material. And what could ya do? After all, those were the best sort of get togethers.


	6. This is Why (You are the Responsible One)

So as can be expected of several notorious Trickster Gods, 'dropping in around lunch' wasn't a very accurate concept. Especially when said Trickster Gods work all around the globe, and usually decide to arrive whenever it is around noon wherever they might be.

Hermes was the first to get there, not that Gabriel was very surprised. The Greek Messenger had told him a while back that he was touring the Americas for a couple of decades, so the pair of them created quite the ruckus if he did say so himself. Hermes walked through the door with a laugh and a dangerous gleam in his eyes. "Gabby! Casserole! How long has it been since you two hosted a party?" The other messenger exclaimed excitably. He didn't waste any time and quickly tackled Gabriel in a bone-crushing hug.

"Not long enough," Castiel answered playfully, walking over to trap the younger being in a loose embrace and ruffling Hermes' dark hair. Apparently, the only thing little Castiel had learned from him was half-assed gestures. "It's good to see you again. How are you enjoying the states?"

Hermes' face broke into a wide grin, eyes brightening with an otherworldly glow. "Definitely, angels!" Gabriel's lips curved into a small grin, listening to the younger being, who was practically his younger brother, ramble on about his travels. "It's definitely different from Greece! I mean, the people! There are so many different things to see and oh my Gods, the sweets!"

Eris chose that moment to appear in the form of black and gold wisps that faded into a human shape. "They do seem to have a lot of chocolates. Though, I'd bet Gabriel over there probably created more than a few of them." She teased lightly, her renowned smirk on her face. One swift movement and both Messengers were holding very expensive chocolates, while Castiel was given a small glass of expensive wine.

Surprisingly, Castiel and Eris, despite their obvious differences, had very similar tastes in foods and drinks.

"OOOOOOH! Is that Hermes and Eris I see? I haven't run into you guys for absolutely ages!" And it seemed Puck was there, too, taking the form of a scruffy-haired teenager. "Hiya Cassie, Gabriel, how's life?"

The Goddess of Choas sent a curious look in Gabriel's direction. "And what's this I hear about the Winchesters summoning you, Lo?" That comment caused four sets of eyes on him; one ocean blue, one forest green, one pale gold, and one pure onyx. "They weren't causing you any trouble, were they? Rumors say they've stopped several sacrificial offerings and have gotten a few lesser Gods completely screwed over. And everyone in this room knows how much I _hate_ sacrifices."

And if that wasn't an understatement then he didn't know what was. Eris hated any sort of offering with a burning passion, no matter how strong a Pagan may be, believing there were better ways to gain the energy that was running very low in supply.

"Oh, y'know, just the usual game with hunters. Give them a vaguely accurate answer, sass off with them, screw around, be over dramatic, and leave with a flourish. Nothing we all haven't done a million times over." Gabriel answered them, expecting the laughs he got in response. 

 Eris leveled him with a look that was just screeching, _'really?'_ "So you, an Archangel of the Lord turned famous Pagan Trickster, dealt with the Winchesters, the vessels of Lucifer and Michael and the ones foretold to start the Judeo-Christian Apocalypse, without the single drop of conflict?"

Once again, four sets of eyes rested upon him expectantly. Damn Eris and her ability to read him so well, "As I said, I just treated them like your average, run-of-the-mill hunters." Gabriel brushed the comment aside with practiced ease. "Now, I do believe that you guys have a few stories to share with the class. Am I right?"

Puck nodded, the sprite immediately launching into a familiar story about star-crossed lovers and the fairy king Oberon and his beautiful wife Titania. "Of course, modern storytellers acts if the couples got back to their original partners, but I guess they can't get all the details right." He mused, thoughtfully taking a sip of whatever the hell he was drinking.

Hermes was the next to speak, rambling about a soul he'd recently guided to the Underworld. "Isn't it weird," the youngest in the room started, "how there are so many different thoughts and ideas about the afterlife yet so many of them are true? Like, I've talked to Hel a few times and the way she describes Helheim is nothing like how I would describe the Underworld." Turning excitably to the two resident Angels, he talked again with a curious grin. "And your Heaven is nothing like anything I can think of!"

Little Cassie came next, clearly haven inherited Gabriel's skill at telling various stories. "Now, I don't have many tales from our time in Heaven, but it'll take far too much work to convince Lokes over there," Gabriel gave a light chuckle at the nickname, "to tell you anything. So, it might as well be me. One time, dear Father I couldn't tell you how long ago it was, Luci and Micah were fighting, as literally _everyone_ knows they did, so Anna, Balthy, Andy, and I," the names brought a smile to Gabriel's face as he remembered his precious fledglings.

Anna, with her spitfire personality and fiery red hair and beautiful blue eyes. Wings designed to be as agile and swift as a hawk, the feathers a creamy white with pale red splashed across the tips.

Balthazar, that little shit, his mischievous eyes a cool grey and his hair a dusty blond. He had wings that were a pure mahogany, littered with hints of Gabriel's own iconic gold, shaped like that of a proud eagle.

Samandriel, his naive and clueless little one, with tousled brown hair and wide blue eyes. His wings were simpler than his other charges, mostly dusty brown with a few cream and white feathers here and there.

He heard Castiel speak again and felt those eyes (the bluest blue to ever blue, he'd joked, just around the time Cas' wings had faded from off-white to an inky black.) on him. Of course, during his little flashback session, he'd missed most parts of Cassie's carefully weaved story. "Then Gabriel showed up, completely out of the blue, and the three of us got our first tour of the Earth! You all know this, but I'm going to say it anyway. Gabriel is the best brother out, despite him being a complete asshole. Anyone who screws him over will find themselves dealing with a _very_ pissed off Angel and a bunch of Pagan Tricksters!"

"Duh, Gabby is absolutely amazing and has saved my life more times than I can count!"

Gabriel snorted, leaning forward and completely screwing up Hermes' wild hair. "If you mean the times where I yanked your sleepwalking ass back and stopped you from the idiotic thing that is walking off a cliff, then yes! Yes, I have saved this lazy Greek idiot on multiple occasions!"

There was another burst of laughter that quickly filled the room from top to bottom, Hermes, in particular, devolving into a giggling mess.

_Maybe the reason Cassie is so mature is that he lives with so many damn Tricksters. I mean, someone's gotta make sure the house doesn't get blown up, right?_ Gabriel mused, silently cackling at the thought. _That would definitely explain some of those weird ass quirks!_

Cas must've been listening in via their private link because he definitely wasn't snorting at something one of their guests said.

Puck, after summoning himself another glass of whatever he was drinking, leaned forward with a curious grin. "How about you Gabriel?" He asked with a nonchalant gesture. "I'm sure you must have some sort of tale you can tell!"

Eris nodded her agreement from where she stood in her usual spot, sitting on the end barstool. Hermes, who was sitting next to her, was suddenly at Gabriel's side, playfully tugging on the sleeve of his jacket. "Oh, I have an idea! How 'bout how you and Cas met Loki and Apollo!" The younger Messenger exclaimed excitably, glancing around the room of Tricksters. "That one's always been one of my favorites."

The Archangel laughed, reminded of when he took care of fledglings back in Heaven. "Loki and Apollo it is!" He grinned just thinking of the two batshit crazy Pagans who had passed on their namesakes to him and his brother. "Well, you all know why we left. We had no interest in fighting Heaven's war." _Understatement of the century._ "I'd already been chatting with Lokes for a while." _More like we kept ranting to each about daddy issues and crappy siblings._ "Loki told me that he was tired and worn out, and I told him that I was eager to get away." _True._ "When the time came for me to plan a getaway, we made a bit of a deal. I'd make sure his work got done and keep an eye on his kids and he'd get to sit back for a while, have some peace and time with the family." Gabriel told them, for what must've been the thousandth time. But even so, Hermes sat there with a big smile on his face and Puck, ever curious, absorbed the information like a sponge. "Simple really." He teased with a shrug.

"So," Puck started coyly, leaning in close, "It was the Winchesters who summoned you, right?"

Hermes came to stand next to him and leaned against Gabriel's shorter frame, amber eyes mischevious and a dangerous smirk on his face. "How do you think they'd react to a little fun? Y'know, Trickster style?"

A comfortable quiet settled across the room, four pairs of eyes slowly moving over to Castiel. Gabriel knew that if anyone here were to object to playing a trick on the Winchesters, it'd be his younger brother. Cassie sighed, clearly exasperated. "Fine with me. Father knows nothing I have to say would actually stop any of you." He laughed, and his words were definitely true. "Besides, I think the two people destined to damn my family more than it already is can deal with a little trouble."

Gabriel laughed, ruffling Cas' hair and wrapping a golden wing around his brother, Hermes, Puck and Eris. "And this, my little one, is why _you_ are the responsible one!"

* * *

The next morning found Dean Winchester cursing every Trickster under the sky and absolutely screaming bloody murder about his Baby being painted a ridiculus shade of pink, and Sam Winchester finding his research becoming the Trickster version of the Mauraders Map, spewing out insults from the four Tricksters.

On the motel door, a hastily scribbled note was taped to the door.

_Don't mess with Tricksters, bucko! You might not like the response ya get! ;) - Loki_

_HEYA BITCHES!!!!! STOP MESSING WITH MY SLEEP-WALKING-LIFE-SAVER-GUY!!!!!!!!!!!! ~ Hermes of Olympus_

_Stop now, before you actually tick Loki off. Sincerly, Eris_

_You two are idiots. Hope you like the new paint job! `Puck`_


	7. He's Got a Deal with the Devil

Castiel, despite his lack of interest in the Apocalypse, could easily admit that it was more likely to happen than for it to be prevented. For this reason, he saw no existing reason to interact with the vessels any more than necessary. Of course, he and Gabriel were never that lucky. His brother had already been summoned by them, granted, it was using his Pagan identity, but that only added to his caution.

And that was why the Angel was much more wary than usual when he appeared for his next healing. His most recent charge, a deaf boy who loved to feel the vibrations of his favorite songs, looked up at him with unmasked awe and amazement. Castiel had long since discovered that children were his favorite humans to heal because not only were they easily entertained, but because their souls were among the brightest, purest things an Angel could find, drawn towards his own hidden grace.

The young boy, fourteen or fifteen years old if Castiel remembered correctly, looked slightly confused, and he moved his hands into familiar poses, curiosity flowing from each movement. "Hi there, sir!" It was spoken silently, the exclamation filled with excitement. "I'm Aiden, what's your name?"

Castiel signed back, the gestures smooth as though he'd been speaking the language since birth. "Hello there, little one," he started, using Gabriel's pet name for himself, "My name is Apollo. I have a gift for you if you would like to take it."

"It's nice to meet you, Apollo!" Came the enthusiastic reply. "What is this gift you're talking about? Mother says not to accept gifts from strangers. Maybe you should ask her first?" Aiden mused, tilting his head to the side. If Gabriel were here, he would be cackling about the similarities between Aiden and a younger Castiel.

The Angel shook his head. "It's a surprise," he offered, gesturing for the boy to come closer. "Would you like to hear the music that's playing?"

Aiden grinned, nodding eagerly. "You can do that!" Castiel nodded. "Wow! You're like a superhero from one of the comics Alec is always talking about!" He paused for a moment, as though he was considering Castiel's offer. "How would you do that? The doctors told Ma that there was nothing they could do about it."

"Just close your eyes, little one," Castiel told him, his grace soothing the boy's bright soul. "Close your eyes and you'll be able to listen to whatever you like." And the boy did. The Angel stepped forward, placing his hand on Aiden's head. A warm, soft light filled the room as Castiel's grace did its work, thoroughly running its course. He stepped back, letting his hands fall to his side. "There, it's done. You may open your eyes now." Castiel told him gently.

Aiden titled his head to the side, a slow smile forming on his face. "S-Say it again?" He managed to say, his voice raw and undeveloped from years without use.

"Open your eyes, little one," Castiel responded as a soft smile took over his features. "Listen to my words and hear the song your soul is singing to you." The Angel soothed, his grace wrapping encouragingly around him. _Because Angels were never meant to thrive without communion, but that's what this Goddamned war lead to._ He shook the bitter thoughts away, those were best suited for times when his brother was by his side, gold feathers brushing up against ebony ones.

Aiden opened his eyes (They were a dark shade of brown, reminding Castiel of Uriel's wings because however much he disliked the dark-winged Angel, his wings were a glorious sight to behold.) and his small smile turned into a brilliant grin. "T-Thank..... y-you."

Even though his voice was rough, understandable since he hadn't spoken since an extremely young age, Castiel got the message loud and clear. "My pleasure!" The Angel exclaimed, leaning forward to ruffle Aiden's hair. If someone told him that he learned his affectionate nature from Gabriel, well, they wouldn't be wrong. "Now, I have one more thing to give you, my little one."

Aiden gave him a curious look, those doe eyes both grateful and confused. "But you already did something amazing!" He signed, probably finding it easier than speaking with his undeveloped throat. "How can you do anything better than that?"

Castiel chuckled lightly. It wasn't the first time that his ideas had been questioned. _"Why are you healing me?" "I'm a horrible person, shouldn't you fix someone else?" "Are you sure you have the right person?"_ The variety of doubtful questions he'd been asked over the centuries was endless and after a while, the questions became expected, an anticipated part of the routine. Carefully, he moved his wings from where they were folded against his back, gently removing a loose feather from the limb. "Take this, my little one. Consider it my thanks, for putting your trust in my abilities."

The young, because almost everything was young in the Angel's eyes, boy looked on in awe as Castiel placed the feather in his palms, smile widening as he felt the downy-soft feather tickle his hands. "T-Thank.....y-you.....Ap-Apollo!" Aiden's voice, though rough, was sincere and awed and grateful all at once, the inky feather reflecting navy and purple into his brown eyes.

 "I insist, it's my pleasure!" Castiel repeated. If he was right, Aiden's parents would be home from work soon, along with his older sister. "Now, I have other affairs to attend to. If you ever need me, I'll be there before you can call my name." Awkward sounding, but the truth. "All you need to do is say my name." Aiden nodded eagerly. "Then I'll see you again, little one."

"B-Bye!" Aiden chirped, waving excitedly. "B-Bye Apollo!"

Castiel looked at him with a small smile, waved twice, then was gone.

* * *

When he arrived home, Castiel was met with a startling silence. In a house that often played host to a variety of Tricksters, one of which who was the Archangel who never stopped talking, silence never means anything good.

As he expected, Cas found Gabriel out on the back patio, leaning against the wall, nursing a glass of whiskey. His brother spoke, not making any movement to acknowledge Castiel's presence. "Sam Winchester is dead."

Oh.

_Oh._

"Dean made a deal, didn't he."

If there was one thing Winchesters were known for, it was making deals to bring back a loved one. It had been happening since before the brothers were even borne, starting with Mary Winchester, Mary Campbell back then, making a deal with the demon Azazael for her lover's life, and it happened over and over again. And for what? They were hunters, they knew what the risks and accepted them.

And yet, glancing over at Gabriel, Castiel knew he would do the same exact thing if something ever happened to the Archangel.

His brother laughed, a hollow and broken sound that tore Cas apart. "Yeah, yeah he did." Gabriel didn't even try to meet Castiel's concerned gaze, but the younger Angel knew exactly what was going on inside his brother's head. "I was so friggin' stupid to hope that there was a chance that they wouldn't end up fighting. But no one's that lucky." Gabriel ranted softly, golden wings drooping low enough to sag against the ground. "Dear Father, he has one year. One year, Cassie."

It was like a wall crashed down, Castiel couldn't just stand there and watch as his brother's last slither of hope faded away. The Angel was instantly by his brother's side, his grace smothering Gabriel's, warm and soothing and gentle. "Don't worry, brother, there  _has_ to be  _something_ we can do." Cas insisted his black wings surrounding the pair like a cocoon.

"Cassie, I know you wish there was a way to stop them, trust me, so do I, but I've been trying to prevent this since before the Fall."

"Then it's a good thing we know a few people who may be able to help." Castiel's frown slowly changed into a dark grin. His blue eyes were filled with mischief, curiosity being overrun by vicious intent. The look someone would find in Eris' eyes before she waves her hand, sending civilization into war. The gleam in Puck's eyes before he dispatches of a cruel, cruel man. The shade in Hermes' eyes before he delivers a message that will send trap someone in a malevolent down spiral. The look of a Trickster.

Gabriel seemed surprised by the intensity of the look in his eyes, but the surprise was gone so fast Castiel questioned if it was ever really there. "Who do you have in mind?" The Trickster asked, eyes glowing gold. "Becuase I can think of several people who would absolutely love to kick the Winchester's in the ass!"

"Oh, you know, the same ones that are extremely protective of their resident Angels." He said with a sly grin, and those were the only words needed for Gabriel to figure out who Cas was talking about. 

A grin, darker than the one that comforted Cas and chased away his doubts, spread across Gabriel's face. "You know what they say," he started, with a nonchalant shrug that sent a ripple through his wings. "Even demons run when a good man goes to war."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short chapter, guys! My muse is off on vacation, apparently. Anyways, here's a preview of Cas being a bit darker than usual, which shouldn't be too out of character since he's been living as somewhat of a Trickster for centuries.


	8. Dangerous Discoveries

Shot.

Hit by a car.

Crushed under a piano.

Was there no limit to this insanity?

Falling in the shower.

Choking on sausage.

Killed under Sam's own hands.

_Tacos._

Was nothing considered too cruel?

His brother was taken from him again and again and _again_ and Sam could do nothing but watch.

* * *

 

"This isn't working!" The youngest Archangel practically growled, invisible wings flared out behind him. "Lucifer and Michael would have snapped _ages_ ago and we don't have any time to waste! Sam Winchester cannot be allowed to find a way to reverse the deal!" The worst part was that Gabriel _knew_ this wouldn't work. This plan was built on the basis that Sam would respond in the same way that Lucifer would, but while Gabriel could see the similarities in their ambitions and desire to escape from an overbearing father, that was where the similarities ended.

Castiel placed a hand on his shoulder with a small, almost unnoticeable frown on his face, marring features that should be painted as a grin. The other Angel spoke quietly, calmly, and Gabriel could tell that a storm of emotions swirled under his calm mask. "It might take some time, brother." He blue-eyed man insisted, though, he failed at hiding the stress that flowed through his voice.

It took all his restraint for Gabriel not to whack his little brother with the closest object. Yeah, it  _might_ happen if they waited. But how long would it take? Days? Months? Years? It was time that they didn't have. The Apocalypse was one step from destroying everything it touched, looming over their heads for as long as anyone could remember. No, waiting simply wouldn't work.

The Winchesters needed a push and they needed it now.

"Next time, I won't bring him back. Make it a Winchester's worst nightmare, one half thought to be dead and the other with a thirst for revenge." He whispered to himself, missing Castiel's baffled look. "I don't care what it costs, my brother's _can't_ be allowed to fight. Are you with me, or not?" Gabriel asked the younger, voice ringing with slight hesitation.

The black-winged Angel vehemently shook his head, dark hair falling in his face in messy strands. "Never," Castiel told him firmly, "you won't face this on your own. Not as long as I'm around." Gabriel felt a questioning force brush against his grace, and he returned the touch with one of his own, black and gold feathers blending together unseen. "Besides, someone has to make sure you stay out of trouble," Castiel smirked, lips twitching upwards and eyes twinkling. Then, with a rush of air, the younger Angel was gone without a trace.

"You little shit!" The Archangel shouted and moments later, he was in the air. Castiel's dark plumage stood out like a sore thumb among the yellows and golds of the rising sun, and Gabriel urged his wings to move faster, playfully passing his brother by and thrusting bursts of the chilly breeze into his brother's face. "Catch ya later, dumbass!"

* * *

 It was Wednesday (After millions of Tuesdays, his mind picked that out immediately.) but Dean was dead and it wasn't resetting. "Wake up, wake up already!" Sam's words escaped as dry, rasping sobs. Red stained his shirt and jeans and his hands were slick with the sticky, crimson liquid. He was covered in Dean's blood, but the time loop wasn't resetting and _goddammit,_ because he _knew_ that this was the Trickster's doing.

But this time, he had the Trickster's name as well as those he was associated with.

Eris, Puck, Hermes, Apollo, Loki.

The five Pagans had made it their goal to screw with his and Dean as though their lives depended on it. But this was the last straw. The thing with turning the Impala an ugly shade of pink? That could be considered funny, Sam remembered not even trying to hide his laughter.

Tearing his brother from him? That was it. He recreated the summoning ritual they'd created after the incident at Crawford Hall, taking weeks, maybe even months to gather all the necessary materials to call upon the Norse deity. He'd done his research, both on Loki and the Tricksters that worked with him.

His trap was set and now, the candle already lit and it's aroma filling the dark sky, all Sam had to do was wait.

It didn't take long. Not long at all.

Loki appeared with a bored grin, his eyes speaking of secrets that he gained and tossed away with a lazy wave of his hand. The Pagan's eyes glowed a toxic green, radiating power and cunning. Apollo stood beside him, a blade slipped into his hand. The healer didn't seem nearly as malicious, but even still, his face was burned into Sam's mind as a man responsible for Dean's murder.

"Bring him back," he demanded, voice cracking. The monsters in front of him stole his brother from him, ripping Dean from his hands in a cruel gesture, only to laugh at it behind his back. 

Apollo was the one who answered, sending a glare in the other Pagan's direction. "I'm afraid that can't happen. Too much lies on his shoulders."

"Besides, if I could-"

"You can."

"Yeah, but that don't mean I should." Loki had an image of false cheer plastered across his features, a snarl clearly running under his words. "If I bring him back than Lu-" He cut off suddenly, stopping right before he revealed something. Information that more than likely, Sam would need in the future. Loki took a deep breath. "If I bring Dean Winchester back, something bigger than you can even imagine will be released upon this world."

Apollo looked like he was about to speak again, but was cut off as a choked sob escaped his lips, his hands rising to grasp at the crown of his head. Loki was immediately at his side, one hand on the other's shoulder and the other frantically searching for unseen injuries. "'Pol? Apollo? Cassie, answer me!"

 _Cassie?_ The nickname didn't fit for any Pagan god Sam could think of, and like a bloodhound locking onto a scent, the Winchester instantly knew he was seeing something that no one was supposed to witness. Discovering something that was supposed to remain hidden for years to come.

"He-He's calling for war, brother," the younger deity rasped, "Michael, he's preparing for war." Apollo clenched his fists, two dark shadows that were barely visible in the little lighting arching with some emotion varying from panic to fury. "Micah and Luci are preparing for war, Gabriel."

Loki frowned and raised a hand to his brother's forehead, eyes glowing brighter than before. But they weren't the same, they weren't the same at all.

Instead of the venomous green that Sam had come to associate with the Trickster, Loki's eyes glowed a pure gold, the color of whiskey when the sun trickled through the amber liquid.

Micah, _Michael_. Luci, _Lucifer_. The first borne Archangels of the Christian God.

And Apollo had called Loki Gabriel.

The aforementioned Trickster fixed him with a terrifying glare. "Mention this to  _anyone,"_ he hissed, "and I will make sure it's the last thing you ever do. You got that?" Sam nodded, still too lost in all the theories that flooded his mind in a hurricane. "Take your brother back, and don't try to find us."

Then they were gone and Sam was left with the swirling mass of thoughts that crowded his mind. He sorted the thoughts, deciding on two facts that stood above the rest.

The Tricksters Loki and Apollo were connected to the Angels of God.

And even more startling, a war was coming. Michael was leading a war against Lucifer, a war of demons and Angels and humanity was caught in the middle of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OH MY CHUCK SORRRRRRRRRY!!!!!!! This hasn't updated in forever and when it does it's the shortest chapter in the whole fic!
> 
> What do ya'll think of the twist? I'll admit, that was in no way planned. I started writing and it went off from there. So hopefully that doesn't seem too out of the blue. If ya haven't noticed already, I'm sorta just winging it and have no real clue where this is goin'.


	9. Research, Research, and Guess What? More Research

Sam hadn't stopped for a break once since the incident at the Mystery Spot. Sure, he ate, he slept, he dealt with the various cases that he and his brother stumbled across. But he had yet to stop looking for the connection between the two Tricksters and the war that was supposed to be happening in Heaven.

He had a few facts figured out, and most of that was going based off of the little information Lo- no, _Gabriel_ had given him after their confrontation.

One.

 Loki was related to, or even the same as the Archangel Gabriel.

From where he was standing, the evidence leaned towards the Trickster _being_ the Archangel as opposed to the two of them being connected in one way or another. Besides, the younger of the two brothers had called him Gabriel. Why would someone, especially someone seemingly in pain, call a close one by a name that wasn't theirs?

Two.

Apollo was an Angel as well, Sam just wasn't quite sure which one.

Cassie. That was what Lok- Gabriel had called the dark-haired man. There were hundreds of Angels, though, he could only assume that the ones in the Bible were among the highest ranking ones. For now, he didn't have enough to go one if he wanted to identify Apollo.

Three.

 A war was coming. One between Michael and Lucifer, the two first borne of the Judeo-Christian God. And from his experience, war only meant that innocent lives would be caught amongst the bloodshed. And if Gabriel, the supposed youngest of the four Archangels, could kick their asses this bad, Sam didn't want to know what kind of damage the two oldest Archangels could cause.

Of course, with their usual luck, Sam highly doubted that any attempt to stop the Apocalypse.

Because what else could this be?

Even when Dean was brought back from Hell (Sam shuddered at the thought. Despite his brother's numerous comments about how his only memory of that damned place was a pair of impossibly blue eyes and then waking up in a coffin, Sam knew better than to believe that.), he kept researching. Dean still claimed the existence of Angels was impossible. But the brothers and Bobby all knew that that was a lie.

Uriel watched them with a bird's eye. A hawk was the usual bird that came to mind when questioning a person's eyesight, but Sam liked to compare the dark Angel to that of a vulture, predatory as it waits for the perfect place to strike.

But then Sam didn't listen.

He kept searching out Ruby, kept thirsting for her blood, anything to become strong enough to finally kill Lilith.

A way to sink his teeth into the beast that had taken his brother from him, and didn't bring him back. Whatever Gabriel's intent had been, the hundreds of Tuesdays did nothing for his conscious when he watched as invisible hounds tore into his brother. And so God help him if Sam was going to let that go undealt with.

But he'd been wrong.

Lilith was the key, the final seal. The last obstacle to face before the Apocalypse was released on the world.

And Sam had gone and done it. He'd made the decision that could potentially destroy the world.

* * *

The Archangel was practically growling. Those damn Winchesters were never supposed to find out. If they did, then Michael and Lucifer could find out just as easily. And if his older brother's found out that he and Castiel were still alive? Hell, if they find out that he'd interacted with their vessels  _and_ hinted at the Apocalypse?

That wasn't something that Gabriel didn't want to think about.

Of course, he hadn't been given much of a choice anyway. The youngest Archangel had known the second Lucifer was free. There was no Angel in this world that hadn't heard his brother's cry, melodic like a flute but poisonous all the same.

 Beautiful and cruel.

Those were the first words to come to mind when Gabriel thought of his older brother. Beautiful? Maybe not to a mere human. But to an Angel, Lucifer was glorious. His wings, three sets of giant, swift wings, looked as though someone had dipped them in the sunset. Auburn feathers near his shoulders, smoothly fading into a pale gold as you looked closer towards the tips of his wings.

Lucifer wasn't given the title the Morning Star for no reason. Even after his fall, the Archangel was regarded as one of the most beautiful of their father's creations.

Cruel? Anyone with eyes could see the cold smile that slowly crept onto Lucifer's face, starting in his alluring eyes and finishing at his upturned lips. There were hundreds of tales about Lucifer's cruelty, about how the Cage drove him insane. About how the devil was a silver-tongued manipulator, even before the moment he convinced Eve to disobey their father's laws.

The youngest of the four took a deep breath, steeling himself. Gabriel knew that Castiel would find a way to get involved, whether it was by his own choice or perhaps the stubborn Winchesters or one of their brothers. _Because,_ Gabriel thought with a small smile, _Cassie could never let innocent people like the ones he's healed suffer just because a long-absent father said so._

A familiar sound came from behind him, air rushing between feathers. "Heya, Cassie," he greeted, turning to face his younger brother. "How was the hea-"

But it wasn't Castiel. Oh no, it was much, _much_  worse.

"Hello there, Gabriel." The second Archangel sounded the same as he had centuries ago, cold and emotionless and somehow casual, and it was all Gabriel could do to not flap his wings and hurl himself into the sky. "Is little Castiel here, too? That is the fledgling that you used to be so attached to, correct? You know, before you 'died' in an accident teaching an unfortunate fledgling how to fly." Lucifer made a flippant gesture. "Anyway, you and I need to have a chat, little brother."

_Shit._

* * *

Something was wrong.

They'd confronted the Trickster several times, first at Crawford Hall and then at the Broward County Mystery Spot. But this was different. Now there was no playful jokes, overdramatic sighs, no sort of irony involved whatsoever. None of that was what made Sam suspicious.

No, Sam was suspicious because there was no Apollo.

The Trickster advanced towards them with a snarl, eyes glowing somewhere in between toxic green and golden whiskey. _So I hadn't been seeing things._ The hunter thought to himself, staying alert as the being stalked closer. "You had to start the Apocalypse, didn't you?" The words were quiet, accusing, and Sam felt like the worse was yet to come. "Did you consider the consequences of it? How it could affect every being in this world? Human, monster," he continued, stalking closer. "Demon, angel, no one gets left alone." Eyes flashing gold before changing back to the odd mixture.

Suddenly all of Sam's theories clicked. The Tricksters Loki and Apollo were two rogue Angels, gone for one reason or another in order to escape the Apocalypse. Now he only had to test his theory.

 _Here goes nothing._ "If you're so against it, then why come after us? After all, the Apocalypse can't happen if we don't say yes to your brothers, right _Gabriel_?"

His answer came in the form of six giant shadows arching, just like what had happened at the Mystery Spot. Except for this time, they weren't shadows. This time, six golden wings stretched from Gabriel's shoulders, light bouncing off them in just the right way to make the colors seem to dance.

 Something still seemed off though. Watching the Trickster - no, this proved that he was an Archangel closely, Sam sucked in a deep breath. Rivots of deep crimson liquid oozed through the feathers that were closest to Gabriel's shoulder blades, light seeping through wounds that Sam couldn't see.

As the Angel hid his wings once again, the younger Winchester shot Dean a pointed look. _Did you see that?_

His brother answered him with a look that dripped with sarcasm. _The flashy eyes or the golden wings? Yes, I saw that the bastard's injured! Where's the other one? If this one's got feathers, I'll bet that the other one's got them, too._

Sam shrugged. _How should I know? And why do you think he's wounded? He's beat our ass every time we've run into him._

"Brotherly conversations by eye rolls and annoyed gestures?" Gabriel interrupted their silent conversation. "Please, I have hundreds of siblings, I'm not that stupid." A blade slipped into his hand, similar to the one Apollo wielded. However, this one radiated with something stronger. "Sorry boys, I was rooting for ya, but something came up."

Dean chose that moment to add in his own two cents. "And let me guess, whatever came up has something to do with that little brother of yours that you're so protective of and is probably the cause of whatever injuries you're trying and failing to hide." His older brother said with a smirk. "Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm going to go out on a limb here. One of your older brothers, y'know the ones I'm talking about, wanted you on their side, or at least out of the picture. So they decided to slice and dice your wings a bit, and 'watch over' your little brother until you do what they say."

As the hunter spoke, he confidently walked closer to the Archangel, smirking all the while. "Am I close?"

Gabriel fumed, and with a snap of his fingers, Dean was sent flying back to Sam's side. "Bingo," he said, with a slight resemblance of the dry humor they were used to. "Unfortunately, no matter how right you are, you're still stuck fighting against two Archangels, plus Michael's self-righteous ass, whenever he decides to show up."

Well, this wasn't going to come to a neat resolution, Sam could clearly see that. He spared another quick glance at Dean. _We can't risk a full on fight happening here._

 _No,_ Dean rolled his eyes. _So what do you suggest? Asking him nicely?_

Sam shook his head, chuckling at Dean's antics. _Take him by surprise. Knock him out. Try to convince him to help us. Get his brother back. Stop the Apocalypse. It's still coming along._

The older Winchester rolled his eyes, but Sam knew that he agreed. They'd known each other too long for lies, they could read each other like an open book. "So, Gabriel. It  _is_ Gabriel, right?"

The other hunter let Dean's words fade into the background as he silently circled the distracted Archangel.  _Hopefully, this won't piss him off that much._ As quietly as he could, Sam moved so he was almost directly behind the golden-winged creature. Then, he met Dean's gaze, raising a knife with a particularly heavy handle. 

A nod. 

A swing.

The Archangel crumpled, Sam swiftly moving to grab him before he hit the ground. "Dean!" He called, waving his brother over. "Get over here, we need to get a look at these wounds. It shouldn't have been that easy to take out a damn Archangel."

While Dean closed the gap between them, Sam couldn't help the sigh that fell from his lips. _Great._ He told himself. _You're officially kidnapping an Archangel! What could go wrong?_


	10. And the award for the most Dumbass Hunter goes to.......

Sam Winchester had made plenty of stupid decisions in his life. Who hadn't?

He remembered that one time in high school when he'd accidentally started a rumor that Dean was sleeping with a pretty blonde girl named Brittany, unknowing that his brother had a fling with the shy brunette who'd showed them around on the first day.

Then there was that time while he was in pre-law where he ran straight into Jess, whose response was to literally flip him over her shoulder. At the time, his only thought was that this incredible woman would make the most epic hunter.

Of course, as a hunter, those moments of outright stupidity needed to be kept to the minimum, so Sam was fairly confident in his ability to not make any potentially life-threatening choices. Well, any _more_ risky choices than necessary. There were some careers that simply demanded that a person lives amongst danger and disaster, people like police and firemen, and in Sam's opinion, hunters definitely fit into that category.

But never. _Never._ Had Sam taken a risk that came near this in comparison.

He also doubted he ever would.

* * *

"So when'd you figure it out, bucko?"

A mere few inches were all that stood between Sam and one of the four most powerful Angels ever to be created. To make matters worse, he was trying to convince a being, they knew had a very close brotherly bond, to go against his older brother.

Nothing had seemed to go the Winchester's way, not since the incident at the Broward County Mystery Spot.

Well, Sam figured he'd better answer the Trickster - Gabriel the Archangel's - question. "Ever since I confronted you and the Mystery Spot. Your brother, Apollo, had some sort of attack," the younger Winchester shrugged, "though, I doubt that Apollo is his real name."

The Archangel shrugged. "You're right." There wasn't anything hinting that Gabriel would expand on that, but Sam figured a confirmation was better than nothing. "You know, you humans are stubborn little things. Face it, kid, you're stuck facing two Archangels no matter what. A third one isn't going to help your situation either way." Gabriel waved a hand, his flinch barely noticeable to Sam.

 _And he says that we're stubborn?_ Sam sighed, his hopefully convincing look turned into a glare he'd mastered during Dean's dumbass risks. "Now if you'd only let me take a look at your injuries-"

"No."

"-and patch them up to the best of my ability," Sam continued as if the Archangel had never spoken, "then we could help you track down your brother and there'd be nothing preventing you from helping whoever you see fit."

Gabriel whistled, the tune short and quiet, before leaning against the nearest wall. "Fine, kiddo, do what you want." He shrugged again. "It's not like you could do it any more harm."

While the Archangel wasn't wrong per se, Sam rolled his eyes at the disregarding comment. It wasn't particularly insulting, but the hunter had a feeling that Gabriel would respond in a similar fashion until Apollo was back at his side.

It scared him how similar the pair seemed to him and his own brother. Unrelenting in their care for one another and likely to coldly dismantle anyone who harmed them.

Shaking away the thoughts, Sam approached the tense being with caution. _So,_ he thought, _how exactly does one ask an Archangel of the Lord to reveal his wings?_

Gabriel snorted, looking highly amused. "Archangel, bucko, you should probably learn what counts as a prayer versus what's just wishful thinking." Simply, golden wings rippled into existence, feathers stained red. "Go crazy." He said, faking humor.

The hunter rolled his eyes. Speaking of similarities, Sam wasn't sure what he thought about the fact that his brother and the Archangel were oddly alike. The dry sense of humor, the I-could-care-less attitude, even the fierce overprotectiveness coming from being older brothers.

Moving forward, Sam gingerly worked his way through the feathery appendices, starting with the middle pair, which was the largest by far. Golden feathers brushed against his hands and wrists, but he ignored the strange, warm feeling in favor of paying attention to what he was doing. "So I'm assuming that Lucifer is holding Apollo somewhere?" 

It wasn't the best conversation starter, but Sam didn't need casual small talk right now. There was too much at stake, too many risks involved for him to chase after details with finesse. Though Sam was by far the more tactful of the two brothers, when it came down to it, the hunter had no issues confronting the matter head-on.

"First of all, it's Castiel. If you insist to be in on the secret then you might as well call him by his actual name." The Archangel tensed, his wings subtly moving under Sam's hands. "And if Cassie wasn't with Luce then I certainly wouldn't be here needing your help. If you want an Angel who actually cares enough to stop the Apocalypse, then you've got the wrong brother."

Sam shrugged, he could've gotten a worse answer. "If you weren't at least a little interested in humanity, then you wouldn't have tried to make me immune to feeling pain at Dean's death." Wings jolt and Sam took a step back as he saw a flash of what looked to be jagged scars. "How-" He started to ask, but Gabriel cut him off before he could finish the question.

The Archangel turned to face him, pressing his six wings close to his side. "Have you ever tried to play peace-maker, when the people who are arguing are clearly stronger than you are?" Sam nodded mutely, having a bad feeling about where this was going.

Despite not really liking the being who had caused them so much trouble, Sam clung to the hope that he was misunderstanding the words. But it made sense, in a twisted way. From what little knowledge he had about Angels, it wasn't easy to hurt them, and it was even harder to leave permanent scars. Sam guessed it was even harder to even scratch an Archangel, let alone scar one.

Gabriel continued, his eyes practically glowing. "Good, now imagine stepping in between two of the oldest beings in the universe, except that they _don't_ stop."

After that, silence reigned as Sam completed his work.

* * *

 "Remind me why we have to work with this guy?" Dean complained, arms crossed across his chest. If Sam was being honest, he wasn't any happier about the situation. But they needed a win, some sort of advantage over Michael and Lucifer.

 _Though_ , he thought, remembering the prior conversation with Gabriel, _I doubt going against their brother will cause much of a delay._

Bobby, who'd reluctantly opened his home to them after they'd explained the situation, shot his brother a glare. "Because we need someone who knows more about Angels than guesswork."

Gabriel snorted. "And who says I'll give you any info?" The Archangel glared, his eyes glowing gold. "Sorry, buckos, but if you want information on Michael and Lucifer, you might want to go to an Angel who's been to Heaven recently, instead of someone who's been on vacation for centuries."

"Well, too bad." Dean practically growled. "You're one of the only two Angels who don't give a damn what Michael says, and none of your crap is going to convince me that you actually agree with Lucifer."

Sam internally groaned. If only those two could stop insulting each other, then we might actually get somewhere. He almost voiced that aloud, but that would only cause more trouble. Bobby voiced his thoughts perfectly, only seconds later. Really, it was a surprise that they got anything done around here.

"Both of you need to pull the stick out of your ass and get your head in the game. We don't get time to be screwing around while Lucifer and Michael plan their next move."

The Archangel laughed dryly. "Here's the problem with that, you don't _plan_ against Michael or Lucifer. When either of them fights, it's unpredictable. Michael likes to let you feel like you're winning, and then wipe you off the map in a single swipe." He talked confidently, as though he knew exactly how each of the Archangels preferred to attack, and that probably wasn't far from the truth. "And Lucifer is the opposite, he'll take you down as quickly as possible, not giving a damn about what damage is caused."

"Then we'll just have to improv." Dean shrugged it aside like he didn't have a care in the world. "And for now, we got an Archangel on our side. What could go wrong?"

Bobby looked like he wanted to whack his brother over the head, probably with something hard. "Are you that stupid?" He asked, dubiously. "You idjit, fighting some of the most powerful beings isn't going to be that simple."

"Having me on your side isn't going to make anything easier for you," Gabriel commented, though he clearly had little care for the conversation. "If anything, it'll just piss them off more. They've been trying to convince me to join their cause for centuries. And unlike you, one of them actually has a reason I should join them." His glare seemed to intensify, eyes flicking between the two brothers.

It clicked almost instantly in Sam's mind. Apollo, or Castiel, as he now knew, was still held captive by Lucifer. To Gabriel, that was the deciding factor, he realized, wherever Castiel chose to fight, that's the side that would gain Gabriel's support.

"We'll get your brother back." He was speaking before even thought it through. Dean looked at him with wide eyes, and Bobby didn't even seem surprised. "Once Castiel is out of Lucifer's hands, you can freely pick whatever side you want without the threat of him being harmed, right?"

Gabriel's eyes were immediately focused on his own, fiery and freezing at once. "Why? In my experience, no one does something for an Archangel without wanting something in return." For a moment, the shadows of wings arched threateningly on the wall behind him. "Especially one that they have a spotty past with."

Of course, a runaway Archangel would have trust issues. But then Sam thought about the scars littering his wings and that suddenly didn't seem so out of place. 

"Because that's what we do." The younger Winchester said, sending Dean a look that shouted ' _don't you even think about arguing with me about this.'_ "Hunting things and saving people." Gabriel just gave Sam a skeptical look. "Look, all I'm asking is that you help us until we get your brother back. After that, you can do whatever the hell you want."

The Archangel paused for a moment, as though he was looking for even the slightest hint that he may be hiding something. Apparently satisfied, he stepped back. "Okay," he drawled, though, he didn't seem particularly happy with the arrangement. "You got a deal, Winchester, and don't you dare even think of crossing me."

Even though he didn't plan on doing it, Sam nodded again. He held out his hand, hoping he looked somewhat confident in his actions.

It was always a risky move to make any kind of deal, especially when someone leans towards sides that don't exactly benefit your own. But making a deal with an Archangel? At least with demons, you could expect what was coming when the deal was closed, and if it went wrong, you could trust that Crowley was too prideful to let the mistake happen again. But deals with Angels? Those were unheard of. And this wasn't even a normal Angel.

This was Gabriel, the runaway Archangel who people worshipped as a Pagan God. He was unpredictable, and there was nothing in the books about what Sam should expect.

Gabriel was still for a moment, then took Sam's hand in a firm grip. The hunter gave a small grin because at least the had an Archangel on their side, if only for a few short days. The immortal shook his head in disbelief, "I hope you know what you're doing, bucko. You'll have my help for now, but when Lucifer and Michael find out," he laughed bitterly, "there's no way I'll be able to help with that for long."

Sam couldn't help but smile, because now, they had a chance.


	11. So this is happening.

In Gabriel's defense, he didn't have any better options at the time.

Sure, he could call up his fellow Tricksters and ask them for help rescuing Cassie, but the risk was too great. While his friends weren't weak in any case, Lucifer hated Pagans with a passion and would kill them mercilessly, no matter the circumstances. And while the Archangel didn't doubt that they'd suffer some losses in this war, Gabriel wasn't about to throw his friends directly into the line of fire.

Then there was always the option of actually going along with his older brother's plans, but that'd mean bringing the world closer to damnation, and Castiel would never forgive him if Gabriel helped to bring that on. Hell, Gabriel wouldn't even forgive himself.

No matter the situation, the Archangel couldn't watch from the shadows anymore. Lucifer had decided that for him, and even if Castiel hadn't been taken, the younger Angel would never have sat back and done nothing as humanity suffered from Heaven's wars. And if Gabriel was going to be dragged into this shitstorm, then he was standing with the humans.

As if now, it seemed like the three hunters that he had a shaky alliance with were his best bet. However, he doubted that it was going to last for much longer than it took to free Castiel.

* * *

 

"I can't fight my brother!"

"What the _hell_ do you mean you can't fight Lucifer?" It's pretty obvious which hunter had spoken.

Gabriel sighed, resisting the urge to simply fly away and solve the problem on his own. "Lucifer is the second oldest." He said, for what felt like the 1,000th time. "He's stronger than me and so are Michael and Raphael. The fight would be over in minutes."

Dean's glare only grew more angered. "Can't? Or won't?"

The other Winchester forced himself into the argument, giving his brother a fierce glare. "Dean, if Lucifer is as strong as Gabriel says, then we can't risk engaging him. There has to be another way." Sam turned to him, the glare softening. "How can you be sure where Cas is?"

Well at least one of them had common sense.

"Both of us have been cut off from Heaven for centuries. While an Archangel is never fully separated from Heaven's energy, it's different for the everyday Angel. They need a power source, and since Cassie isn't connected to Heaven, well, let's just say that my grace acts as a battery for him."

Sam's eyes widened and Gabriel knew he was curious about how that worked, but the hunter understood there wasn't time for playful questions. He simply nodded, moving on to the next topic of importance. "Okay, if we know his location then we can come up with a plan, right?"

Dean rolled his eyes. "What we need is a way to keep Lucifer distracted so none of us get smitten while we're rescuing Angel number two."

Gabriel opened his mouth to say something, but his grace surged. He leaned heavily against the wall, images flashing through his head as his grace flared up. The lights in Bobby's house flickered, but Gabriel could care less. Pictures of Lucifer and Cassie, changing too fast for the Archangel to get a glimpse of his brother's condition. His head burned, Lucifer projecting too much too fast. He heard rushed voices speaking,  hands touching his shoulder and face but  _none of that mattered._

_All you have to do is join me, brother, then your little fledgling will be freed._

"Lucifer," he growled, knowing his brother would get the message, "don't you _dare_ harm a single feather on my fledgling, or I swear,  _I swear_ you'll regret it." 

His brother's cold laugh echoed through his mind.

* * *

 

Sam watched as the Archangel froze, panicked as the being practically collapsed against the nearest wall.  _It's just like Castiel's lapse at the Mystery Spot._ He thought, but the hunter forced that aside. Gabriel seemed lost within himself, his eyes glowing pure gold. Panic swirled inside the golden depths, and Sam was startled by the concern rising in his chest. "Gabriel." The hunter cautiously reached out and laid a hand on the Archangel's shoulder, but no response came. "Gabriel, answer me. What's going on?"

Gabriel still didn't respond, his features pained and distant. The lights flashed, but that wasn't Sam's concern. Without much hesitation, he lightly placed a hand on Gabriel's face, because there _had_ to be something he could do. "Hey, look at me. We are going to get your brother back, do you hear me? We will get your brother back, Gabriel, I promise." 

The gold slowly began to fade from the Archangel's eyes, his optics turning their usual amber. "Y-You better keep that promise." Sam's concern only grew as he spoke, Gabriel's voice weak and barely concealing a tremble. "I-I'll smite you if you even try to break it."

The so-called 'threat' wasn't very threatening, if Sam was being completely honest, not when the Archangel looked pale and weak. Sam exchanged a look with Dean, _"Give me a minute?"_ His brother huffed and left the room.

Sam shifted until the pale Archangel was firmly leaning against his side. Why he was so concerned about someone who had been an enemy only a few days before, Sam didn't know. But here he was, supporting the man who had caused them so much trouble, making impossible promises. "We'll get Castiel back, I promise you that, Gabriel. Even if I have to take on Lucifer, because no one deserves to have their brother ripped away from them."

When the Archangel flinched, Sam's gentle grip on Gabriel's shoulder tightened reassuringly and much to both of their surprise, Sam pulled the smaller man into a comforting embrace. The smaller man stiffened for a moment, then gradually relaxed, and Sam couldn't help the small smile that spread across his face.

He didn't know how long they stood there. _Hell,_ Sam didn't even know _why_ he was comforting the Angel, his tormenter. However, he was a hunter and the unexplained or unexpected were his life's work.

An idea popped into the forefront of his mind, and his breath stuck in his throat. "Gabriel, _Gabriel,_ how would Lucifer react if his vessel wanted to talk to him?"

The Archangel tensed as soon as soon as he heard the words. Sam held his breath, hoping he didn't say something that'd cause the Archangel to disappear before they could stop him. "He'd talk to them, try to convince him that he's not that the bad guy. Lucifer's confident that you'll come to him on your own." Gabriel looked up at him, startling Sam with the sheer amount of caring and ferocity in the amber gaze. "Listen to me, Sam, you _cannot_ trick my brother, it won't work."

Gabriel was dead serious, almost pleading. Sam's eyes widened. "Gabriel-"

"I know it's practically impossible to ask this of you, but _please,_ trust me on this. I know from experience, Lucifer will see through it, no matter what plan you manage to come up with."

"Look, Gabriel, I know you're not happy about this, but none of us are." Sam firmly met the other's gaze,  not wavering. "But we have to do this. We need to fight Lucifer, and we can't do that if he's holding hostages." Voice softening, he added. "Plus, while we may not be on the best of terms, I know it would kill me if something happened to Dean, and I imagine it's the same for you and Castiel." Sam chuckled, remembering what they were talking about before this shitstorm. "Hell, it's probably worse since you two are connected."

Gabriel sighed, clearly not okay with the situation at hand. "Fine, Samich, I'll go along with your little plan. Even though it's one of the stupidest things I've heard in the last century. But if anything goes wrong, I'm getting your ass out of there pronto."

The hunter nodded solemnly. Gabriel was right to be skeptical, and it was probably a good thing that he was. Sure, they had a plan, but Sam had a feeling that things were about to go south.

* * *

 

 

Gabriel hadn't expected the Winchester's plan to follow the script line by line. Nothing that had to do with Lucifer ever did. The Morningstar never liked to be held back by a set of instructions, that was the whole reason the Apocalypse was bound to happen. So he wasn't surprised when Lucifer saw through Sam's lies.

But he hadn't expected it to go this wrong. 

Sam and Dean had been forced out of the battlefield, the hunters silently escaping to find wherever Lucifer was holding Castiel. And Gabriel himself? The Archangel had been forced to go on the defensive, playing a deadly game of cats and mice. Because after all, Gabriel wasn't about to let either hunter fall to Lucifer.

Even if it meant he fell himself.

* * *

 

This wasn't supposed to happen.

_This wasn't supposed to happen._

"Castiel!" Sam rushed through Lucifer's base, which, of course, had to be an old house that hadn't been in use for many, _many_ years. He turned a corner, almost running into his older brother. "Any luck?"

Dean shook his head, alert and ready to face whatever came at them. "Nothing yet. If I were a weirdly-clueless Angel, where would I hide?"

He merely rolled his eyes at his brother's antics. "Castiel?" He shouted once again. "Goddammit." Sam spat, fists clenching. They were wasting time, that was obvious. Gabriel couldn't keep Lucifer's attention for long, and the earth under their feet shook with each time the two Archangels clashed.

"If I was raised by anyone else, I'd probably be offended by you cursing my father's name." A low voice spoke from behind them. Both Winchesters whirled around and Sam relaxed at the sight. Apollo- now known as the Angel Castiel, stood there, clad in a worn trenchcoat. As to be expected, the Angel looked messy and ruffled, thankfully not appearing injured. "Where is Gabriel? I assume he was the one who told you of our true nature?"

Sam and Dean exchanged a look. "Lucifer discovered our plan and Gabriel was forced to go on the defensive, so we really need to get out of here."

Castiel squawked at his brother's words and Sam rushed to amend them. "As soon as we leave the building, Gabriel will back off and get us to a safer location before Lucifer can do any more damage." Sam refrained from wincing, remembering how Gabriel implied his wings had been scared. "Once the both of you are out of here, the two of you can do whatever you want, but for now, let's focus on escaping."

The Angel nodded, reaching and grabbing their forearms with a firm grip. "Give me a moment to check Gabriel's grace. It might be better for me to fly us to the sidelines, so Gabriel doesn't have to worry about protecting us from Lucifer."

 Sam glanced over at his brother, who was giving Castiel a thorough once over. Scratch that, Dean was definitely checking the Angel out, though, Sam knew he'd deny it. Of course, Sam had noticed his brother's tendency to have one-night stands with both men and women, despite John's negative comments, but Sam certainly hadn't expected him to fancy and Angel.

Either way, it wasn't really something that mattered in this particular moment.

After a minute or two, Castiel fixed his piercing blue gaze on Dean. "I'm taking the two of you to a safehouse that Gabriel and I spend most of our time in. My brother will meet us there." The Angel readjusted his hold on their arms. "You might want to hold on." He suggested, as though the thought had come to him suddenly.

Not even a second after Castiel spoke, the world was spinning. Sam thought he heard the wind rushing through feathers, felt a feathery curtain surrounding them for an instant.

Then, everything was still.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I might have been in a Sabriel mood while writing this chapter.


	12. Chapter 12

_Well, this is going to hurt in the morning._

Of course, that required him to win, or at least fight to a draw, this little game of theirs. And that was much easier said than done. What was that saying? A fiddle of gold against your soul says I'm better than you? Something like that.

Gabriel dodged another lethal blow, Lucifer's blade just barely grazing the largest of his right wings. He had always been the fastest of the Archangels, faster than Michael or Lucifer or Raphael or any other Angel his father had created. His wings had been handcrafted, built for cutting through the clouds, but it was Lucifer who had taught him how to move freely through the sky.

And it was Lucifer who was trying to send him crashing to the ground.

He avoiding another strike, lunging closer at the slightest chance of landing a hit. Because while not a single one of Gabriel's attempted strikes had hit, it was impossible to escape his brother without a few bruises... Or worse.

Gabriel was already starting to tire, even though this fight had hardly lasted a few minutes. But with his brothers, minutes seemed like hours and hours dragged in for days. The hand holding his blade was shaking, and Gabriel didn't know if it was caused by his nerves or exhaustion. When was the last time he had been in a fight like this? Seven centuries, maybe eight?

All of that aside, Gabriel wouldn't- no,  _couldn't_ allow Lucifer to focus on anything but him. Not until Castiel and the Winchesters were long gone.

 "Trying to kill me, brother?" Lucifer asked him, a cold smirk on his face. "You really have fallen far."

Gabriel swiped again, his blade barely grazing Lucifer's cheek. He took to the skies, all six of his wings rippling into existence. "What can I say?" The Archangel shouted, keeping a distance between him and his brother. "I always had a bit of a rebellious streak!"

Lucifer's expression didn't change, just watching Gabriel from the ground. Then, he spread his wings, the once auburn and gold feathers turned a cruel scarlet. There was a cold smile on Lucifer's face, a look so subtle that Gabriel almost didn't notice. "Remember, Gabriel, I was the one who taught you to fly."

And with those words, the Morningstar took flight, flying straight towards him.

Shit.

_Shit._

_SHIT._

_Brother, are you alright?  The amount of worry flowing from your grace is...... concerning._

Gabriel wanted to answer, he really did. However, he was _slightly_ preoccupied with not dying. He swooped downwards, twisting his body until his wings caught him just before he touched the ground.

 _Yep, definitely fine, my dearest brother!_ Gabriel chirped as he burst back into the clouds, the words blurring together. "Is that all you got, Luci? I guess all those years in the cage have made you rusty!" The youngest Archangel taunted, wings flared out behind him. Snarking the devil probably wasn't the best way to go, but until he knew that the hunters were safe alongside his brother, his only priority was keeping his brother's attention on him.

Even if that meant he was out of commission for a few days.

So what the hell? If sassing off was the way to do it, that was exactly what Gabriel was going to do. Besides, Loki may have been known as the silver-tongue, but that title truly belonged to his brother, who was a master of wars fought with venomous words, aimed like cruel, unexpected daggers. 

Lucifer just looked indifferent. The cage had changed him, Gabriel realized, changed him beyond what he had believed. Because while he had been playing tricks, Lucifer had been entrapped in a place that twists and warps a person's worst thoughts and deepest fears, and that was more terrible than anything Gabriel could imagine.

His brother came at him again, and Gabriel hissed as the blade left a shallow cut down the length of his arm. He lashed out, this time leaving a gash in Lucifer's side. The ground below them rumbled with each blow, shaking with every parry. Gabriel grit his teeth, he couldn't keep this up much longer. Not if he wanted to avoid damaging the surrounding area.

So, he talked. Because what else could he do?

 _Cassie, you need to hurry the hell up because Lucifer is kicking my ass and I can't use even a quarter of my power without putting you and the Winchesters at risk._ He shouted through his grace, only waiting until he felt Castiel's responding hum. "So, Luci! What do you have against humans anyway?"

His brother gave him a confused look, as though Gabriel had just asked him the difference between Angels and demons. "They're filth, cockroaches, even! And we're expected to bow down to them?"

Yep, this was going to be the death of him. "But they try!" Gabriel interrupted, dashing forward and narrowly missing Lucifer's lowest set of wings as he swiped his blade. "They try to be better, and in a way, they _are_ better than us."

_CASSIE. I NEEDED TO LEAVE LIKE TEN MINUTES AGO._

Lucifer surged forward, and this time, Gabriel couldn't avoid it. Pain blossomed in his stomach, his grace forcing itself to the surface. _Shit._ His free hand touched his stomach, and when he pulled away, Gabriel was greeted with the sight of crimson.  _Shit._

 _Gabriel? Gabriel! What's wrong? I know something happened so don't deny it! I have the hunters, and I flew to our safe house in Kansas. Get out of there!_ Castiel's voice echoed through his head, panicked and worried. Neither of which were emotions that Gabriel had ever wanted him feeling on his behalf, but his brother seemed to do it either way. 

 _Thank Dad, I'm on it, Cassie. Trust me, I'm getting the hell out of here._ Gabriel responded, but his voice sounded strained even to his own ears.  _And you may want to find some bandages._

There were a few moments of silence.  _Gabriel. What did you do?_

_...I may or may not have gotten stabbed._

* * *

 

Dean could easily admit that they knew next to nothing about the two Angels that they were somewhat allies with. Hell, he could honestly tell you that he knew practically nothing about them at all!

But looking at Castiel pacing about the room, Dean instantly recognized the look of a worried younger brother, the look very similar to the one he saw Sam wearing on a daily basis. And in that moment of time, the Angel being worried for a sibling did not come with any good outcomes.

 It meant that the Devil was winning.

Again. Not something that anyone wanted to happen.

Despite years of John distrusting anything with supernatural abilities, Dean moved to Castiel's side. "What's happening over there?" He asked, his voice casual. It wasn't a small surprise that Dean was the more social of the Winchester brothers. He knew his way with words, and while he wasn't a damn poet, Dean had gotten pretty good at recognizing the appropriate words to say in any given situation. It was a skill that he had learned on the job, and _damn,_ it was helpful for talking to spooked victims. But this wasn't the everyday conversation.

Granted, very little of his conversations as a hunter could be considered 'normal.'

The Angel (And was that a hard pill to swallow. Demons, those were always malevolent. Angels, though? Everything they knew about them was changing with every moment.) didn't respond for a minute, seeming lost in his thoughts. When he did speak, Dean felt his body tense. "Everything's gone wrong," Castiel said simply. "I can feel Gabriel's grace and it's not good. I've never felt him this worried." Castiel rolled his shoulders back, as though moving a phantom limb. His blue eyes locked with Dean's green ones, and he was surprised at the sheer amount of emotion in them.

"I'd tell you that everything would be fine, except that would be a lie and I highly doubt that that's actually what you want to hear." Dean hesitated for a moment, gingerly grabbing Castiel's shoulder. "Your brother is an asshole, but I sort of get where he's coming from. It's crazy what I'd do to get back to Sam if anything hurt him, and if I'm right, it's the same for you and Gabriel. Trust me, Cas, you two will get through this."

Castiel blinked, a small smile spreading across his features. "Dean, thank you."

And it occurred to him that he was still holding Castiel in a weird hug-like gesture, but Dean couldn't bring himself to care. There was something about the Angel that intrigued him, but this was in no way the time nor place for that.

Suddenly, Castiel turned panicked. His eyes were full of urgency, concern. "Dean, _Dean,_ he's hurt. Lucifer stabbed him, I can feel his grace-"

"Cas, you need to calm down." Dean interrupted. "Get some bandages, we'll need to stop the bleeding."

"Hiya Cassie, Dean-o. You seem more concerned than I expected," came Gabriel's shaking voice - and when had he gotten there?

Leaning against the wall, hand pressing against his stomach and trembling, Gabriel was, to put it nicely, a hot mess.

_Ah, shit._

* * *

 Gabriel wasn't really sure what was going on. He certainly hadn't expected _Dean Winchester_ to be helpful, let alone to interrupt him and his brother having a moment.

He also hadn't expected for Dean Winchester to stomp on over and guide him away from the wall, supporting most of his weight. "What were you thinking, you asshole?" His grip on Gabriel's side, despite his tone, was gentle. Definitely firm, but much gentle than you'd expect, considering the fact that Gabriel had killed him over one hundred times.

Humans were weird.

 "I was thinking," Gabriel started, ignoring how his voice shook, "that the actual Devil was absolutely ticked off at you knuckleheads, and that I was the only one who could borrow his attention for a few minutes without getting smote on the spot."

Dean just shot him an unimpressed look. Of course, he was long since used to that sort of thing, so it just made him laugh. "Self-sacrificing bastard. Do you know how guilty Sam would have felt if you had died? And what about Cas?"

_Um. What?_

 Gabriel must have thought out loud because Dean simply snorted and rolled his eyes. "For some reason, Sammy is quite attached to you, though, I can't imagine why." Even as he said that Gabriel could see the slightest smile on the hunter's face. "And the whole reason you were fighting Lucifer was that Sam couldn't convince your brother that he was telling the truth. Well, at least that's what Sam thinks."

"Well, that's total crap. Lucifer is literally the original liar. No one could out trick him."

"I agree, but that's still his opinion." Dean rolled his eyes. "Dammit, where are those bandages."

Without warning, Dean shoved against his stomach, _hard. When had he even taken off his jacket?_ Gabriel thought absently. Wounds from an Archangel blade were one of the only things that his grace couldn't heal, meaning that he was relying on the normal, everyday human way of getting stabbed. Fun! Except, it wasn't.

 "Thanks for the warning." He snarked, hissing as Dean increased the pressure. "Wow, you really need to work on your bedside manner!"

Dean ignored his comment. "Looks like you're gonna be on the sidelines for a few days, probably a week or two. And trust me, you're about to be mother-hened by our little brothers."

"That really isn't surprising. Probably by a few Trickster gods, too. And possibly by a few Norse Gods now that I'm thinking about it." Gabriel mused, internally laughing at the idea of that chaotic mess.

Dean gave him a weird, vaguely confused looking grin. "Then maybe, you should stop gettting stabbed."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess what! I'm not dead! Anyways I am reeeeeeeally sorry about not updating this in months. I haven't really been motivated to do much of anything recently, including writing. I've posted a few short fics, but I honestly have no idea where I'm going with this story and that's making me sort of anxious to work on it.
> 
> Originally, this was going to cover up until the end of season five in canon, and maybe have a sequel or some post-story one-shots to keep adding to the AU. However, I'm thinking of splitting it into two separate stories. At this point in time, that's pretty likely.
> 
> Thoughts? My idea would be to finish this fic off pretty soon, with only a few more chapters to wrap it up, but I'd definitely be interested in hearing what you guys think.
> 
> ~ Cheshire


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